Rising star Jacqueline Kennedy was in golden form for the second year running in her age group at the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup championships in Japan.
Rising star Jacqueline Kennedy was in golden form for the second year running in her age group at the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup championships in Japan.
A New Zealand team featuring several Poverty Bay Kayak Club members picked up a swag of medals and were third overall in the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup event on Lake Kiba in Japan.
Canoe Racing New Zealand selected a team of 16 paddlers, who raced in Under-16, U18 and U21age groups on the lake, located at Komatsu city on the west coast of the island of Honshu.
Among them were Poverty Bay Kayak Club members Jacqueline Kennedy, Hannah Webb, Matt McKendry and Taylor Newman.
The Asia Pacific Sprint Cup was initiated by Australia, New Zealand and Japan as host nations to develop U21 paddling sports in the Asia Pacific region.
Other nations involved included Singapore, India and Mongolia.
She completed a clean sweep of victories in the K1, K2 and K4 events.
Newman, representing her country for the first time, had gold-medal success in the U16 women’s K2 and K4, and won silvers in the K1.
Taylor Newman picked up two gold medals in her age group in her first appearance in a New Zealand sprint kayaking team.
Webb, representing New Zealand for the third year in a row at the event, proved a valuable member in the U18 women’s K4.
McKendry, also representing New Zealand for the third year running, did well in the mixed relays, raced the 1000m in a competitive U18 men’s division and stepped up to the U21 division to help the Kiwi men win bronze in the K4.
Kennedy, brother Maxwell and Webb are back training and fundraising for the 2025 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, in late July.
Matt McKendry gave it everything and his efforts were rewarded with a medal in one of the team events.
Gisborne medal success at Asia Pacific Sprint Cup
Taylor Newman – Under-16 women: Silver in K1 500m; silver in K1 200m; gold in K2 500m, gold in K4 500m; silver in mixed K2 200m; gold in mixed 200m relay.
Jacqueline Kennedy – U18 women: Gold in K1 500m; gold in K1 200m; gold in K2 500m; gold in K4 500m; gold in 200m mixed relay; also silver in U21 mixed K2 200m and mega relay (6 paddlers).
Hannah Webb – U18 women: Gold in K4 500m.
Matt McKendry - U18 men: Gold in mixed relay; also bronze in U21 men’s K4 500m.
Hannah Webb (back) contributed strongly to the Under-18 women's K4's gold medal-winning performance, with Poverty Bay clubmate Jacqueline Kennedy in the seat in front of her.
Hoskin out of the medals at World Cup
Double Olympic champion paddler Alicia Hoskin and her K4 crew missed out on a medal at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup regatta in Szeged, Hungary, over the weekend.
New Zealand went into the cup without Dame Lisa Carrington, who is taking a year-long break from the sport.
The K4 crew of Olivia Brett, Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Lucy Matehaere were fifth in the K4 500m final, 1.5s behind the winning crew from Spain.
The Kiwis had earlier finished second in their heat and semifinal.
Hoskin and Vaughan were fourth in their K2 500 semifinal, missing out on the A final and not starting in the B final.
Poverty Bay Kayak Club’s Quaid Thompson placed third in the C final of the K1 men’s 1000m. He was fourth in his heat and eighth in his semifinal.
