Olympians headline canoe/kayak sprint athletes at Pan Am Games
Feature: Mark Oldershaw at ICF Sprint World Cup in Copenhagen (Balint Vekassy)
Olympians Adam van Koeverden, Mark de Jonge and Mark Oldershaw will lead the canoe/kayak sprint team at the Welland Pan Am Flatwater Centre, July 11-14.
This spring, the first set of team trials and three ICF World Cup events helped determined the final roster for Team Canada. The 15-paddler squad seeks to repeat their Pan Am success, including a total of seven medals and four titles at Guadalajara 2011.
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Mark de Jonge at ICF Sprint World Cup in Copenhagen. (Balint Vekassy)
With 24 medals secured at World Cup events this year, the team is in good form and stacked with veterans. The men’s team includes Olympic medallists van Koeverden (K1 1000-metre), de Jonge (K1 200m) and Oldershaw (C1 1000m).
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On the women’s side, Quebec’s Laurence Vincent-Lapointe captured two World Cup titles, including C-1 200m which she will compete in this July.
Laurence Vincent-Lapointe competes in the C-1 200m at the ICF Sprint World Cup in Duisburg. (Balint Vekassy)
“Participating in a multi-sport Games in Canada will be a new experience for me,” said Mark de Jonge. “I’m really looking forward to it. Racing in front of a home crowd at such a big event is going to be such a thrill.”
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As one of Canada’s top performing summer sports, Canadian CanoeKayak sprint athletes have captured 24 Olympic medals since 1936. Racers will go head-to-head in the 200, 500 and 1000 metres divisions.
