Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships on in Dartmouth
The Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships begin today on Lake Banook in Dartmouth, N.S., as members of Canoe Kayak Canada look to put the Rio Olympics behind them and look ahead to 2020.
The Rio Olympics marked the first time since 1992 that the canoe-kayak team has been left off the medal podium. The rebuilding begins in Dartmouth during these next five days on the water.
"We knew after Milan and the World Championships that we had to hit the reset button," said Casey Wade, CEO of Canoe Kayak Canada.
Optimistic about 2020
There are 1,400 athletes from 40 clubs across Canada taking part in 374 events at the Canadian Sprint championships.
Nine Olympians will be competing, including the three Nova Scotia athletes who were in Rio: Mark deJonge, Ryan Cochrane and Genny Orton.
"We have a game plan in place and we are very optimistic about the future. 2020 is looking very good, we are so happy to have women's canoe in the next Olympics," Wade said.
Funding women's canoe
Women's canoe will be hotly contested on Lake Banook.
"This is the first year they are carding (funding) women's canoe and it's debuting at the Olympics in 2020. We are putting a real emphasis on it. The top athletes will be getting funding so they can compete with the best in the world," said Peter Lombardi, facility manager of the Atlantic division of Canoe Kayak.
While the Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak championship is a lot about club pride, it's also a chance for the 2020 and 2024 potential Olympians to measure themselves against the likes of legendary five time Olympian Adam van Koeverden.
