Mark de Jonge, Emilie Fournel lead Canadian paddlers into World Cup opener
Mark de Jonge and Emilie Fournel lead Canada's canoe-kayak squad into the first ICF World Cup event of the season in Duisburg, Germany, this weekend.
Live streaming coverage on CBCSports.ca begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m ET.
Fournel, fresh off of qualifying for the Olympics after rallying to force a race-off against Michelle Russell, will be entering her 11th season of competition on the World Cup circuit. The 29-year-old from Lachine, Que., will compete in the K1 500-metre event in preparation for her races in Rio.
De Jonge, originally from Halifax, is poised for another strong season. He is the defending World Cup K1 200-metre champion. He was the bronze medallist at the 2012 Games in London, and has won seven medals over his Pan Am and ICF career.
Canadians round out the team competing in Germany include:
- Alex Scott, men's kayak (Bedford, N.S.)
- Pierre-Luc Laliberté, men's canoe (Otterburn Park, Que.)
- Katie Vincent, women's canoe, (Mississauga, Ont.)
- Nadya Crossman-Serb, women's canoe (Winnipeg.)
Van Koeverden still vying for berth
Russell, who earned a berth for Canada at the upcoming Summer Olympics, will not be competing after losing to Fournel by two seconds at the Canadian sprint team trials in Gainesville, Ga., on May 5.
There's still the possibility of more Canadians qualifying for Rio at this week's continental qualifiers in Gainesville. Adam van Koeverden, who has won four Olympic medals, can secure a berth in the K1 1,000 event at the Summer Games with a win. The kayaker from Oakville, Ont., won a second final at the Canadian qualifiers to secure a spot at the continental event.
Canoer Mark Oldershaw's path back to Olympic competition is underway as well. The bronze medal-winner from Burlington, Ont., can secure a spot for Canada, although not necessarily himself, with a win in the C1 1,000 event at the continental qualifiers.
About the ICF World Cup
The first event on the circuit takes place in Duisburg, a city in western Germany located at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers.
The second event will take place in Racice, Czech Republic, beginning May 28 and the third in Montemor, Portugal, on June 4.
All ICF World Cup events will be streamed live exclusively by CBC Sports — online, on our app and on our Road to the Olympic Games show, which also airs on CBC Television.
Take a look at the following calendar to find out when the events take place:
World Cup event 1: Duisburg, Germany
- Thursday May 19:
- 3:40 - 4:40 a.m. ET
- 6 - 7 a.m. ET
- Saturday May 21:
- 5:30 - 7 a.m. ET
- Sunday May 22:
- 3:30 - 5 a.m. ET
World Cup event 2: Racice, Czech Republic
- Saturday May 28:
- 4 - 6:30 a.m. ET
- Sunday May 29:
- 2:30 - 4 a.m. ET
World Cup event 3: Montemor, Portugal
- Saturday June 4:
- 6:30 - 8 a.m. ET
- Sunday June 5:
- 5:30 - 7 a.m. ET
