Kayak gold rush for PB

WELL PREPARED: Quaid Thompson will compete in the K1 1000m and 5000m at the world championships in Hungary. Picture supplied

KAYAKING

BOTH the weather and competition were scorching but Poverty Bay kayakers shone at the national championships.

Quaid Thompson and Sam Ferkins stood out in the individual men’s events.

Thompson won the open 1000 and 5000 metres, as well as the under-23 titles for those distances, and was second in the open and u23 500. Ferkins took out the u18 200, 1000 and 5000 metres.

In the open women, Poverty Bay’s Kim Thompson, Alex Bermingham, Alicia Hoskin and Britney Ford won the K4 200, and were the third New Zealand crew in the K4 500. Hoskin also won the u23 200, 500 and 5000.

The championships were held over three days at Lake Karapiro last weekend.

“For a club our size, it went well,” Poverty Bay Kayak Club (PBKC) coach Alan Thompson said.

“We’ve got some good kids coming through.”

Thompson said they were training hard and getting results.

“We believe you can get to the top from a place like Gisborne.”

Ferkins added golds in the u18 K2 1000 with Will Pittar, and silver in the u18 K2 200, and they teamed up with Josh Ferkins and Ambrus Sarkozy, a Hungarian who has been training in Gisborne, to take gold in the K4 500 and bronze in the K4 200m.

Sarkozy and Pittar took silver and bronze in the u18 K1 5000 behind Ferkins.

Jordan McLarin made a good race of the open men’s 5000 race, to make it a one-two finish for PBKC.

For the women, Ford and Thompson were third Kiwi crew in the K2 200. Hoskin and Thompson took silver and bronze in the open 5000.

Hoskin made the A Final in a talent-packed international field in the open women’s K1 200.

Poverty Bay had their best numbers in u16 girls, club development coach Liz Thompson said.

Genna Robertson took gold in the u16 K1 500 and silver in the K1 200, and Seren Rogers took the 5000 gold. The two paired up to take gold in the K2 500 and bronze in the K2 200, with another PBKC crew of Emma Brownlie and Nicki Graham a close fourth.

Lucy McLaughlin joined Robertson, Rogers and Brownlie to win the K4 500, with Graham joining Charlotte Blackburn, Grace Roddick and Julia Padrutt from Waitara to come fourth.

In the 200 K4, McLaughlin and Blackburn swapped boats, with the two crews taking silver and bronze.

“I was really pleased with how all the young ones went, from the golds in u16 to the simple fact the youngest ones completed their first races,” Liz Thompson said.

The sole PBKC u16 male, Neo Stuart, joined a combined club team to take bronze in both K4 distances for his age group.

Gus Baker (u14) raced well at his first nationals to take silver in the K1 200, 500 and 5000. He paired up with Jamie Walker to take bronze in the K2 200 and 500, and they joined William Hall and Ollie Egan to be third (but second New Zealand crew) in the K4 200 and 500.

In the girls, Jayha Egan was second in the 500 and Manon Rogers third, and they combined to take silver in the K2 500 and bronze in the K2 200, as well as bronze (second New Zealand crew) with Mara Dehn and Amber Dearness in both K4 races.

The Tyro division (u12) had Ollie Egan get bronze in the K1 100, 200 and 500, and Georgie Beaufoy silver in the 200 and bronze in the 100 and 500. They raced the mixed K2 200, coming second, and teamed up with Mana and North Shore paddlers to be second in the K4 200.

“There were many events where our younger paddlers showed their training paying off as they have improved hugely from the previous regatta in December,” Liz Thompson said.

“Three first-time competitors, Dehn, Dearness and Beaufoy, put heart and soul into their racing.”

The last sprint event of the weekend was the club relay, where Sam Ferkins, Stacey Warren-Moiser, Emma Brownlie, Manon Rogers, Gus Baker and Jamie Walker came second.