Blog posts
Paddler DAWSON (NZL) finds that mum knows best
RIO DE JANEIRO - New Zealand paddler Mike DAWSON is hoping his second Olympic Games will be less of a family affair than his first, when his father protested his mother's awarding of a time penalty for touching a gate.
"At London 2012 I had quite a unique experience as my mum was a judge and she happened to give me a two-second penalty," DAWSON said after training at the Whitewater Stadium in Deodoro X-Park.
"I touched the pole with the back of my life jacket so I didn't think I had actually touched it. My dad, Les, who was my team manager and coach, protested that touch...Read more
DAWSON (NZL), JONES (NZL), New Zealand coach WALSH (GBR)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Comments from canoe slalom paddlers Mike DAWSON (NZL) and Luuka JONES (NZL) and New Zealand coach Campbell WALSH (GBR) at a press conference at the Main Press Centre on Tuesday.
Mike DAWSON (NZL)
On why wind makes canoe slalom difficult:
"When it gets windy it's probably the only weather condition that it's hard to compete in slalom. It just adds a whole other dimension of variability to the run."
Luuka JONES (NZL)
On the course at Whitewater Stadium:...Read more
Nigeria's sole paddler had to leave his coach and kayak behind
RIO DE JANEIRO - Nigeria's first and only Olympic paddler Johnathan AKINYEMI (NGR) is in no doubt about his priorities after leaving his boat and father-turned-coach stranded in Frankfurt Airport on his way to Rio 2016.
“I felt a little bit guilty about abandoning my dad,” AKINYEMI said after training at the Whitewater Stadium. “But I have to say I missed the kayak more."
All three components of the Nigerian canoe slalom team had spent an anxious 36 hours in the German hub after a delayed flight from their home airport of Manchester meant a missed...Read more
Junior and U23 paddlers on the rise
Today’s post looks at the recent ICF Junior & U23 World Championships as well as previous results to see what this can tell us about future Olympics medallists.
I wrote the following Most Promising Paddler Award post on August 2, 2012.
“I suggested that it was not a question on whether Australia’s young 18-year-old Junior World Champion would win a medal, only at which Olympics and what colour. For her to win a silver medal this afternoon at Lee Valley during London2012 is truly mind blowing. She won the Junior World Championship only last month in...Read more
Rio Canoe Slalom Athletes
The athletes are really the heart of the Olympics. Here we provide some insights into the paddlers that are representing their nation at the Deodoro canoe slalom.
From my experience, these paddlers have been in the top end of the sport for about 13 years or more, at a team level for more than 10. The average age in this K1M class is 25. Olympics medallists have usually competed at a previous Olympics and have likely medalled at a previous World Championship or World Cup level. Many were successful junior athletes before they progressed into under 23 and seniors...Read more
Canoe slalom technique and terminology
Today’s attention shifts to describing features of the slalom course and the techniques used to negotiate it. You can refer to the last two posts exploring the kayak classes and canoe classes.
The basics of canoe slalom techniques
The goal for the slalom paddler is to race as fast as possible from the start line to finish line, negotiating up to 25 slalom gates without touching them. The gates must be negotiated in numerical order...Read more
