Hoskin and Thompson stand out

PADDLERS AT THE READY: Poverty Bay Kayak Club paddlers Jordan McLarin (left) and Toby Sutton competing in the under-16 division of Blue Lakes 1, the first sprint kayaking regatta of the season. Although they had not specifically targeted this regatta, club paddlers put in some outstanding performances as they continued their build-up to the important selection regattas. Picture by jamie@dscribe.co.nz

ALICIA Hoskin and Quaid Thompson gave standout performances at Blue Lakes 1, the first sprint kayaking regatta of the season.

They dominated their races in both their own age group as well as older classes, and showed the benefits of solid base training over winter.

While the training of the Poverty Bay paddlers was not targeted at the regatta, it was a good gauge of their progress towards the important selection regattas later in the season.

Thompson’s strength over 1000 metres was evident on Day 1. He raced up an age group and won the under-23 K1 1000m, then progressed through heats to win the same event in the u18 division.

He then captained the u18 K2 (with Zac Ferkins), and u18 K4 (with Alex Bristow, Jordan McLarin and Ferkins) to wins.

While 200m races are not his speciality, Thompson also took silver in the u18 K1 200m, and teamed with Ferkins for silver in the u18 K2 200m and with McLarin, Cole Williams and Ferkins for gold in the u18 K4 200m.

Zac Ferkins was paddling his first sprint regatta and surprised himself with bronze in the K1 1000m.

Hoskin dominates u16Alicia Hoskin dominated her u16 age group with clear wins in the u16 K1 500m, u16 K1 200m and u16 K1 five kilometres. She also won gold in the u16 K4 500m, teaming up with club members Jordan Robertson, Brooke Gedye, and Alex Birmingham, and Birmingham again in the u16 K2 500m.

In gaining experience in the older age groups, Hoskin progressed comfortably through the u18 K1 200m heats, qualifying fastest. She then had a standout win, finishing 1.2 seconds clear of the rest of the field in a time that would have seen her contesting the u23 final.

Courtney Hoskin showed her strength to gain silver in the u18 K1 500m, while training partner Britney Ford stepped up to the hugely contested u23 and open fields and just missed a podium place.

Kim Thompson engaged in a right royal battle with Rebecca Cole (North Shore) and Briar McLeely (North Shore), maintaining her position as one of the leading u23 paddlers. She had a commanding win in the u23 K1 500m, took bronze in the u23 K1 200m, just 0.1 of a second off gold, and took silver in the open K1 200m.

In other team boat events, Poverty Bay paddlers won gold in the u18 K4 500m (Alicia Hoskin, Courtney Hoskin, Britney Ford and Jamie Gedye), silver in the u18 K2 500 (Courtney Hoskin and Jamie Gedye), silver in the u18 K2 200m (Alicia and Courtney Hoskin), silver in the u16 K4 500m and K4 200m (Ben Bristow, McLarin, Cole Williams, Toby Sutton), silver in the open K2 200m and K2 500m (Britney Ford, Kim Thompson), silver in the u14 K2 500(Sam Blackburne, Sam Ferkins), bronze in the u16 K2 200 (Jordan Robertson, Birmingham) and bronze in the u16 K2 500 (Robertson, Brooke Gedye).

First podium visitsEspecially pleasing for the club coaches were the number of tyros and u14 paddlers making their first podium visits, and the continuing progress of paddlers.

Jordan Robertson collected silver in the K1 200m and K1 5km. Genna Robertson collected gold in the tyros’ K1 200m, silver in the tyros’ K1 500m and, with Leah Williams, gold in the tyros’ K2 200m. In the same race, Ella McBreen and Stacey Warren-Moiser were second. To round out their efforts, Williams, Warren-Moiser, Charlotte Blackburne and McBreen collected bronze in the K4 200m.

Attention for the club now shifts to the December Blue Lakes 2, an important regatta for the selection of New Zealand junior and u23 teams for the Oceania Championships, as well as for the world championships later in 2016.