14 Aug 2009

Australia’s canoe sprint team qualified all 11 boats in action on the first day of the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Dartmouth, Canada.

The heats of all the 500m and 1000m distances were staged on Thursday and the Australian athletes did not disappoint, with a number of standout performances ensuring all crews remain in the regatta.

Dual Olympic medallist and 2008 AIS Athlete of the Year, Ken Wallace (QLD) won his heat of the men’s K1 500m - the event he won gold in at Beijing - and will now paddle in the semi-final of this race along with the K1 1000m, after he came fifth in that heat.

David Smith (NSW) and Luke Morrison (NSW) won heat 4 of the men’s K2 1000m to underline their status as one of the crews that will challenge. Smith and Morrison claimed gold in World Cup 3 in June and have continued their good form in Canada.

World Championship debutant Jo Brigden-Jones (NSW) raced very well to claim second place in both the women’s K1 500m and 1000m to earn semi-final berths in each, while Murray Stewart (NSW) and Jacob Clear (QLD) came third in their heat of the men’s K2 500m.

The women’s K4 500m crew of Alana Nicholls (WA), Lisa Russ (WA), Hannah Davis (SA) and Lyndsie Fogarty finished fourth, while the men’s K4 1000m crew of Matt Urquhart (QLD), Chad Alston (SA), Chris Alagich (SA) and Reece Baker was fifth.

Queenslanders Bernadette Wallace and Andrea Wood claimed seventh in their heat of the women’s K2 1000m, while canoeist Torsten Lachmann (NSW) qualified in both the C1 500m and 1000m, placing sixth in both heats.

National High Performance Director Richard Fox was pleased with the opening day results.

“All our crews did what was required today which is a really positive result,” Fox said. “Often on the opening day of a world championship you can get carried away with the moment and bow out of the event but we came here focused and completed the job.”

The semi-finals of all 500m and 1000m events will be held on Friday evening Australian time.