Van Koeverden isn't Canada's only hope

Rest of canoe/kayak team rounding into form as Beijing approaches; Adams still off Games pace

July 7, 2008

Randy Starkman

Canada's paddlers were packing up boats for shipment to Beijing after yesterday's canoe-kayak regatta, confident in the knowledge they're heading towards the 2008 Summer Games as more than just a one-man team.

Olympic champion Adam Van Koeverden was the big gun yesterday with a victory in the men's K-1 500 metres at a World Cup meet in Duisburg, Germany, his third victory in four races this season and 19th of his career. He had a bronze in the K-1 1,000 metres the day before. As Van Koeverden declared on his website, the Canadian team "walked the walk" in Duisburg – or paddled the paddle, as the case may be.

The Canadians got four medals from other sources on the weekend, including a bronze yesterday in the men's C-1 500 metres from Van Koeverden's good friend and Burloak Canoe Club teammate Mark Oldershaw. Despite not having his best race, Oldershaw got on the podium with a time 1:51.547, while three-time Olympic champion Andreas Dittmer of Germany won in 1:51.239.

"It wasn't the best he can do, so that was a little encouraging," said Scott Oldershaw, his father and coach. "He didn't lose by much. We still feel that he's got more in him."

The Canadians are looking as if they should have a good 1-2 punch in the men's canoe singles events, as Thomas Hall of Point Claire, Que., won the 1,000 metres Saturday ahead of Dittmer to secure a berth over Oldershaw in that event for Beijing.

"The way Tom's paddling, he's the better 1,000 guy right now," said Scott Oldershaw. "He (Mark) raced well, but Tom's just going faster right now than he's ever gone. He's pretty tough to beat."

The same could be said of Van Koeverden, who yesterday won the event in which he's reigning world and Olympic champion in 1:40:329, ahead of Tim Brabants of Great Britain (1:40.425), who won the 1,000 the day before.

ADAMS RETURNS: In his return race after getting reinstated after a positive drug test, Jeff Adams of Brampton won a 1,500-metre wheelchair race at the U.S. National Championships in Tempe, Ariz. His winning time of three minutes, eight seconds was well off the standard he needs to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

"I'm physically able to do the time, I just need to find the right track, with the right conditions, and the right pack of racers," said Adams.

ROWING TO CHINA: Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C., and Dave Calder of Victoria have moved one step closer to booking a ticket to Beijing.

The Canadian men's pair won their heat in six minutes 42.10 seconds yesterday to advance to the semifinals at an Olympic rowing qualifier in Poznan, Poland.

CANADIAN MEDALS: Olympic-bound swimmers Colin Russell of Oakville and Tobias Oriwol of Montreal took silver and bronze, respectively in their races yesterday to conclude the third and final stop on the Mare Nostrum circuit in Canet, France.

Russell took silver in the 200 freestyle, while Oriwol's bronze came in the 200 backstroke.

With files from The Canadian Press