MEMBERS from the Bendigo Bank Academy of Sport canoe program will be among more than 170 competitors taking to the water for the Oceania Sprint Championships starting Friday.
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Apart from Imogen Douglass and Baydn Murphy, it will be the first competition for the BBAS members.
The Oceania Sprint Championships will be held at West Lakes in South Australia and feature competitors from 10 countries and 34 Australian clubs.
At open level will be the chance for countries to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year.
“This will provide our athletes with an opportunity to view and learn from the best paddlers in the world,” BBAS coach Tony Misson said on Thursday.
“Most of our juniors are 13 and 14-years-old, so while also competing in the under-16 races, we will be focusing on best times and learning from the experience.
“Our athletes have made significant improvement in the past month and will be racing in K1, K2 and K4 over a distance of 200m, 500m and 1000m.”
Following the Oceania Championships, the focus of the BBAS athletes will shift to the Victorian state titles.
BBAS athletes competing at the Oceania Championships:
Women’s Under 16 K1 1000 – Chelsea Beale, Imogen Douglass.
Women’s Under 16 K2 1000 – Imogen Douglass, Chelsea Beale, Matilda Fitzpatrick.
Men’s Under 16 K2 1000 – Baydn Murphy, William Fitzpatrick.
Women’s Under 16 K1 500 – Chelsea Beale, Imogen Douglass, Matilda Fitzpatrick, Ashlee Ilott.
Women’s Under 16 K2 500 – Chelsea Beale, Ashlee Illott, Imogen Douglass, Matilda Fitzpatrick.
Women’s Under 16 K4 500 – Imogen Douglass, Chelsea Beale, Ashlee Illott, Matilda Fitzpatrick.
Men’s Under 16 K1 500 – Baydn Murphy.
Men’s Under 16 K2 500 – Baydn Murphy, William Fitzpatrick.
Women’s Under 16 K1 200 – Chelsea Beale, Imogen Douglass, Matilda Fitzpatrick, Ashlee Illott.
Women’s Under 16 K2 200 – Chelsea Beale, Matilda Fitzpatrick, Imogen Douglass, Ashlee Ilott.
Men’s Under 16 K1 200 – William Fitzpatick, Baydn Murphy.
Men’s Under 16 K2 200 – Baydn Murphy, William Fitzpatrick.
Also competing will be BBAS assistant coach Rebecca Mann, who is striving to qualify for the Australian under-23 team. Mann is racing in the Women’s Open K1 500, K1 200 and K2 200.