The Australian Canoe Sprint Team put on a dominant display at this year’s Asia Pacific Cup winning an impressive 30 gold medals, 28 silver medals, and 16 bronze medals. With such a strong performance, Australia was titled the 2024 Asia Pacific Sprint Cup champions.
The Asia Pacific Sprint Cup serves as a vital development regatta for Paddle Australia’s pathway athletes, offering them the chance to test their skills against top level competitors from New Zealand, Japan, and Singapore, and to learn from these experiences.
Paddle Australia National Performance Pathways Lead (Canoe Sprint) Kenny Wallace said: “The athletes should be extremely proud of the team’s success at the event, which is a testament to their hard work and dedication to paddling, as well as the excellent coaching and support provided within their daily training environment.”
“This year’s competition was unique and posed logistical challenges due to a very last-minute venue change caused by poor water quality at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.
“However, we believe this shift was a blessing in disguise. Moving to Lake Burley Griffin (ACT) allowed all athletes and staff to stay at the country’s renowned high-performance training centre, the Australian Institute of Sport, and stay, eat, and train alongside some of Australia’s elite athletes, some of whom are preparing for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics in the coming months.
“The most important aspect of the team’s trip, however, was the sense of camaraderie, fun, and friendship that they experienced throughout the event. The team was able to create new bonds and connections, not only with their teammates but also with athletes from other countries, which was invaluable to their growth and development as athletes and individuals,” he said.
“It’s just so crazy like we are eating food in the same hall as Australia’s most elite and high-performing athletes! It is incredible” – Zen Salisbury (WA).
“That was so fun!” – Charlie Heaton-Armstrong (NSW) as he got off the water for K4.
“I love the support from Team Aus. and our supporters – as we are paddling in the hammering down rain, it’s so epic to look over and see everyone still yelling and supporting us in the weather condition!” – Sammy Lourey (WA).
A special mention goes to Paddle Australia’s Technical Committee, event officials, organising committee and volunteers for their relentless efforts in delivering a great event on such short notice, as well as the Australian team coaches and support staff for fostering an environment where athletes can learn, grow, and enjoy their paddling journey, contributing to the development of the World’s Best Paddlers and People.
Additionally, Paddle Australia would like to extend our gratitude to our new friends at Rowing ACT for helping us get this event off the ground and to our paddling friends from Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore for their understanding and flexibility with all the changes.
Overall, the Australian Asia Pacific Sprint Cup Canoe Sprint Team’s success at the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup is a promising sign for the future of Paddle Australia.
With such a talented and dedicated group of athletes, as well as strong leadership, coaching and support, there is no doubt that many of the young athletes in this team will continue to achieve great things on the international stage in the years to come.
Head to https://regattas.paddle.org.au/regattas/1208/results to see the results from the 2024 Asia Pacific Sprint Cup
Head to https://paddle.org.au/2024/05/20/next-generation-showcase-canoe-sprint-at-2024-asia-pacific-cup/ for the orginal article.