With the final stage of the Olympic and Paralympic Qualification process taking place in three weeks time, a number of athletes have been announced to race the competitions in Szeged, Hungary following a competitive selection event over the weekend.
Athletes battled it out at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, with places at the qualification event in Szeged the main focus, as well as the Paracanoe World Championships which takes place at the same venue.
Tokyo 2020 Olympians Deborah Kerr (Anker Valley) & Katie Reid (Forth) are part of a five-boat team heading to the qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Deborah will compete in the women's K1 500m after two storming performances at the selection regatta, whilst she will once again join forces with Emma Russell (Chelmsford) to take on the K2W 500m. The duo have strong international pedigree as a crew, finishing fifth at the 2022 World Championships.
Katie Reid will compete in the C1 200m once again as she looks to win her a place at her second Olympics , whilst Dan Johnson (Chelmsford) will race the K1M 1000m as he looks to continue the A Final form he showed in 2023.
James Russell (Nottingham) and Trevor Thomson (Ealing) complete the squad, with the pair combining for the first time in the men's K2 500m at the selection regatta, showing a fantastic display to earn their place in Szeged.
Britain's world-leading paracanoe squad qualified seven out of a possible nine boat quota places at the 2023 World Championships in Duisburg last season, and will head to Szeged in search of the final two, with the men's KL2 and men's VL2.
Tokyo 2020 Paralympian Dave Phillipson will be in KL2M action in Hungary as he looks to secure the boat for Paris. The Nottingham born athlete has spent time on the podium in recent years, including silver at the 2022 World Championships.
Ed Clifton (Chelmsford) will compete in the men's VL2 event. Showing some great performances at the selection regatta in Nottingham, Ed will look to build on his first World Championships final last season.
2023 World Champions Hope Gordon (VL3W), Laura Sugar MBE (KL3W), Charlotte Henshaw MBE (KL2W) and Emma Wiggs MBE (VL2W) will all head to Szeged looking to retain their world titles in May.
Emma, Charlotte and Hope will all once again double up in the women's KL2, VL3 and KL3 respectively.
Rio Paralympic Champion Jeanette Chippington OBE will double up once again in the women's VL2 & KL1.
Tokyo bronze medallist Rob Oliver and World silver medallist Jonny Young will both take on the men's KL3, whilst Tokyo bronze medallist Stu Wood and World silver medallist Jack Eyers complete the team as they race the men's VL3.
In addition to those racing the Canoe Sprint Olympic qualifier, a further three athletes will race the Szeged World Cup 1. Emily Lewis (Worcester) will race the women's K1 500m, Tom Lusty (Solihull) will be in the K1M 1000m and Izzy Evans (Chester) will compete in the C1 200m.
A larger team will race the sprint World Cup 2 and European Championships, which can be found here.
K1 200m | Trevor Thomson EAL | Emily Lewis WOR |
K1 500m | Tom Lusty SOL | Emily Lewis WOR
Lucy Lee-Smith NOR |
K2 500m | James Russell NOT/ Trevor Thomson EAL
Matt Johnson CLM/ Matt Collinge FOY |
Zoe Clark ROY/ Kristina Armstrong LKR |
K1 1000m | Dan Johnson CLM
Tom Lusty SOL |
Rebeka Simon ELM |
K2 1000m | Matt Johnson CLM/ Matt Collinge FOY | |
K1 5000m | James Russell NOT | Melissa Johnson CLM |
C1 200m | Izzy Evans CHE
Beth Gill CLM |
|
C2 200m | ||
C1 500m | Tom Lambert LIN | Afton Fitzhenry CNI |
C2 500m | Jonny Jones FLA/ Ben Phillips RIC | Beth Gill CLM/ Afton Fitzhenry CNI |
C4 500m | ||
C1 1000m | Tom Lambert LIN | |
C1 5000m | Jonny Jones FLA | Anna Palmer RDG |
Athlete pools have also been announced for the paracanoe European Championships and a K4 crew boat formation pool.
- Paddle UK Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe International Panel Statement April165.62 KBApril 17, 2024This is the Paddle UK Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe International Panel Statement published 17/04/2024.