Friday, 04 June 2010 08:10
Sprint canoeists from 40 countries descend on Duisburg
We are coming to the end of the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup already. For this, the final
round, the troops make their way to Duisburg, Germany.
Starting Friday 4
th June, both World and Olympic champions will meet at the Sportpark, Duisburg. Kayak and Canoe athletes from 40
nations will use these three days as the final international warm-up for the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint
World Championships in Poznan, Poland.
As with all the other World Cups, racing will be held over 200m, 500m and 1000m. This time, the
competition will open with the quick-fire round of the 200m events. Hosted as a post-work Friday
night spectacular, the organisers in Duisburg are expecting big crowds to add to the already electric
atmosphere of the sprints. From 19.00 the banks of the regatta course will turn into a beer garden
for spectators to relax while cheering on the 200m athletes as the finals unfold in front of them.
Joining the party will be a DJ and a barbecue will add a touch of summer to the Canoe Party.
Otto Schulte, President of the Organising Committee, promises the best in both sport and
entertainment; "The 200m Canoe Sprint action works really well in making the audience into a
party, primarily because the boats zip along in front of the crowd who can experience the race first
hand.” It's the first time this kind of party environment has been tried at a World Cup. "We want to
show what a great sport Canoe is,” Schulte concluded.
So far in the World Cup Rankings, in the Men's K1 Individual events, Belarussian Aleh Yurenia is
the young rookie leading the pack, shortly followed by Adam van Koeverden (CAN). Max Hoff
(GER), looking strong and very much on form, took gold in Vichy putting him in third place. Back
in the World Cups this weekend, he could make his way up the rankings. Max is sharing his third
place with compatriot, Ronny Rauhe and Ed McKeever (GBR) both 200m specialists. Let's see
what the weekend will bring for these guys.
In the Men's C1 Individual events, another Belarussian is leading. Dzianis Harazha has a total of 17
points. In joint first is multi-talented Mathieu Goubel (FRA). His adaptability between distances,
proven in Szeged, make him a real contender for this year's Ranking title. Szeged's 200m winner,
Lubomir Hagara is currently in third place. With the German team back, his position is looking
tenuous as Sebastian Brendel sits just two points behind in fourth place.
Over to the Women's K1 Individual, Natasa Janic's performance in Szeged secured her the top spot
at this midway stage, not bad considering she didn't compete in the first World Cup. Hot on her
heels though is Portuguese star, Teresa Portela, sitting just two points behind. In third place is
Australian Jo Bridgen-Jones. Competing in all distances, Jo is getting good practice in race
conditions and it is apparently paying off.
In the team events, France are leading the Men's Kayak events after taking gold and silver in the K2
200m and two silvers in the K2 and K4 1000m. The battle will commence this weekend as Hungary
and Germany are in hot pursuit in second and third place respectively. In the Canoe, Poland are
leading with a no less than eight points clear of second placed Hungary and 13 points clear of third-
placed Belarus. In the Women's Team events, Germany leads but Poland and Portugal are not far
behind.
Nationally, this World Cup will act as Germany's qualifiers into the European and World Championships. One of the most eagerly awaited duels will be between the
Media Contact:
Joanna Greenfield Media and Public Relations Manager +41 21 612 0292
reigning German
champion, Jonas Ems and the Olympic champion Ronny Rauhe. In the Women's K2 200m, Fanny
Fischer and Nicole Reinhardt will be battling it out. They will be watching each other as well as the
other international contenders. When it comes to reigning Men's K1 1000m World Champion, the
German Canoe Federation (DKV) says that Max Hoff is in shape and one of the safest German
medal hopes.
Speaking at last weekend's World Cup in Szeged, many athletes are looking forward to Duisburg.
Ken Wallace (AUS) compared it to Szeged; “Duisburg is always a really good regatta, there are
always the top guys that go there as well... it's the pre-World Championships, I guess.”
Keep watching www.canoeicf.com
for daily updates and results.
For the official event website, visit
www.kanuduisburg.de.
joanna.greenfield@canoeicf.com
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