Three Whanganui paddlers selected for under-18 NZ kayak team

Whanganui Kayak Club paddlers mix it with double world U23 canoe sprint champion Aimee Fisher (centre back) last week.

The Whanganui Kayak Club has once again proved its worth as a feeder club to national elite level with three paddlers named in the New Zealand Under-18 squad.

Sixteen-year-olds Lucas Thompson and Jack Clifton will be joined by 17-year-old Liam Lace to prepare for a Grand Prix regatta in Australia early in the New Year where Kiwi and Aussie paddlers wil take on other international teams.

Coach Brian Scott all three Whanganui High School students had been selected on race performance and from a national assessment camp at Lake Karapiro earlier in the year.

"They also attended a three day team boat trial event after the Blue Lake 2 regatta in Rotorua," Scott said.

"The national assessment camp involved gym work at the new velodrome at Lake Karapiro and of course on the water. We very nearly had four selected with young Sophie Brooke must have only just missed a spot in the under-18 squad, but at 15 she has another three years to go at that level."

Brooke is the younger sister of class act Toby Brooke who has only just returned to the water after recovering from injury.

"Toby is back training with me after returning from study in Wellington. He injured himself about 18 months ago and it's bean long spell of rehabilitation. He raced recently in the national open K1 class and came third. He still has some rehab to do, but he is coming along nicely," Scott said.

"The three selected will focus first on the Grand Prix in Australia and then there are potentially another two regattas they can aim for. One was to have been an Asian tri series against New Zealad, Australia and Japan, but that is being opened up to include China and possibly a few other Asian countries. That's in Adelaide in August.

"Then they will be aiming to gain New Zealand selection to the World Junior Championships in Romania."

The trio will attempt to follow in the footsteps of fellow Whanganui Kayak Club paddlers
Toby Brooke, Aiden Nossiter, Erica Tanner and Max Brown, who is in the New Zealand elite squad about to return to Karapiro for training.

In the meantime, the under-18 trio and club members gained valuable insight into top level paddling when double World Under-23 champion Aimee Fisher repaid Scott a favour.

"I've known Aimee for a while now and she owed my a favour so came over to Whanganui for two days last week. She held a couple of workshops on the water and then just hung with the kids for question/answer sessions. The kids benefited hugely from it, especially Lucas, Jack and Liam."