Barnstorming week for NSWIS Canoe Athletes

NSWIS paddler Naomi Flood looks set to compete in her second Olympic Games, while Dylan Littlehales and Colin Sieders have both qualified for their first Paralympic Games in Duisburg, Germany. 

Former ironwoman Flood was pitted against her regular K2 500 partner and fellow NSWIS athlete Jo Bridgen-Jones in a ‘race-off’ at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Duisburg, the race a necessary evil after the pair were beaten to the first two Rio qualifying spots by Queensland duo Alyssa Bull and Alyce Burnett.  

Flood and Bridgen-Jones had finished the Australian domestic qualifying campaign locked on equal points, and therefore had to contest for the final Olympic spot in Duisburg. Despite competing in different events, the paddler who finished higher in their event would receive selection. 

Racing in the K1 500, Flood finished third in her semi final to qualify for the A Final, saying that it was a tough experience to be racing against her teammate for Olympic selection. 

“It’s been very physically and mentally demanding over the past six weeks, and a really awkard situation for Jo and myself to find ourselves in,” Flood told Australian Canoeing.  

“We went from teammates, physically in the boat together, to racing off against each other. It’s been really tough.” 

Meanwhile Bridgen-Jones was below her best in the K1 200 and had to settle for the C Final, lamenting the missed opportunity to Canoeing Australia post race. 

“I’m pretty disappointed generally. I think as an athlete you want to prove your best on race day, and this regatta I definitely didn’t do my best,” Bridgen-Jones said. 

Earlier in the week NSWIS Paracanoe athletes Dylan Littlehales and Colin Sieders earned their place on the Australian Paralympic team, the admission coming as a surprise to Sieders. 

In the days before the World Paracanoe Championships commencing in Duisburg, Sieders was informed of his selection at an Australian team camp. The shock admission to the team followed an administrative error that had wrongly awarded the Ukraine one of Australia’s quota spots. 

Despite having the pressure to qualify at the world championships lifted, Sieders still managed to place fourth in the B Final of the KL1 200. 

The world championships also finished on a high for Littlehales, who finished fourth in the B Final of his event – the KL1 200, which was enough to qualify him for the world’s largest disabled multisport event, his Paralympic nomination comes at the tender age of 16. 

In other results from Duisburg, Rio bound NSWIS paddler Riley Fitzsimmons was a member of the Australian men’s K4 1000 team that beat Russia to the gold medal in Sunday’s final. Fitzsimons has been nominated to the Australian Olympic Team for the men’s K2 1000.