Sharks Excel
Eight Shark paddlers travelled over to the London Regatta Centre on Sunday to take part in the London Regional Regatta and they came third overall club in the competition, with some fantastic personal results.
Although a bright sunny day, there was a constant head wind slowing paddlers down.
There were races of over 500m and 200m , with heats an finals in both.
The youngest competitors of the day were twins, Maja Krukowska and Marcel Krukowski at just nine-years-old and paddling in their first ever competition and against older youngsters (12-years-old).
They took third and fourth in each race; with Marcel taking the third in the first 500m and 200m races and Maja taking third in the second race of each distance.
These two are definitely two to look out for in the future. In this class girls and boys race together. They started paddling with The Sharks this year at Osterley Park, sessions available on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday.
Moving up through the ages an into the Lightening Class, Kiara Sheehan (12) and Johan Kukkohovi (11). each of them taking first place in the girls and boys respectively.
Although both have raced before, this was their first time at a formal sprint event gaining experience to build on for the future.
Johan has been paddling with us for a couple of years, he started through our after school club at Three Bridges Primary School in Southall. He has entered slaloms, Wild Water Races and Marathons
Kiara joined last year through sessions at Hillingdon Leisure Centre and Osterley Park, she has paddled in some local Sprint races, Both Johan and Kiara show huge potential.
In The Boys D race, Joel Gunnery and Conor Sheehan were representing The Sharks This was their first Regional sprint event, a big step up from other races and 7th and 8th places in the 500m respectively was a great start, with just two seconds splitting them.
The scenario was repeated in the 200m race, although the times were a lot closer.
Both Conor and Joel started paddling with The Sharks last year, initially at Uxbridge Pool and then at Osterley Park, they have also made use of the facilities The Sharks have for Sprint racing at Southall Activity Centre and Osterley Park
In the Men’s races Adam Stewart powered to victory taking the Men’s D 500m race by 5 seconds in a time of 2:31.9 and the 200m race by a 4 second margin in a time 0f 53.5 seconds.
Adam has been paddling with The Sharks for many years, he specialises in Sprint and Wild Water Racing and has competed at National level in WWR. He also races Marathon and has been know to enter a few slaloms. He is now at University in Birmingham but races for The Sharks.
Whilst Grant Underwood face a tough battle in the Men’s C, squeezed into second place in the 500m event with a time of 2:18.8 but was victorious in the 200m in a time of 48.7 seconds.
Grant has been with The Sharks from the beginning, races Sprint and Wild Water Racing and occasionally Slalom. He is a supported athlete at Loughborough University.
The Sharks also entered a K2 race for the first time ever; Grant Underwood and Adam Stewart powered their way to a stunning 500m victory in a time of 2:14.9, a staggering 16 seconds faster than second place. However, the 200m race was a closer affair with a photo finish adjudicating that Grant and Adam came second by 0.75 of a second in a time of 44.8 seconds.
There are some excellent photographs of Shark paddlers taken by a professional photographer at the event which are available for sale, including the ones on this page. For more information please visit: http://aephotos.co.uk/londonregatta2016.
This was a great day out, lots of fun and shows The Sharks have the potential to build a great Sprint team for the future. Interested, then join in, contact: canoeing@thesharks.org.uk or phone Neal on 07951 770241, we hold sessions at various locations in Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow, we will provide all the kit and you do not need any experience to get started.
Many Thanks to our specialist Sprint Coach Beata Fabrińska, who has coached all of the above athletes.