Six NSWIS Athletes Selected for National Canoe Team

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders Fletcher Armstrong, Ella Beere, Natalia Drobot, Riley Fitzsimmons, Kailey Harlen and Dylan Littlehales have been selected to the Australian Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe teams for 2023.

Following selection at the 2023 Canoe Sprint Grand Prix 2 earlier this month, Paddle Australia (PA) have provisionally selected a 17-strong Senior National team and 7 athletes selected to the National Paracanoe team.

The Australian Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe teams will travel to Europe for the ICF World Cup season, before the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany in August.

PA National Performance Director Kim Crane offered her congratulations to those athletes selected.

“Paddle Australia is very pleased to announce the 24 athletes who have been selected to our ‘one team’ Australian Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe team for 2023,” Kim said.

“We’re so proud to announce a team that features a wealth of world class talent, including Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists, world champions and world championship medalists. The depth in this group is simply outstanding.”

“The upcoming international season will be crucial for this group of athletes, with the first quota positions for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games up for grabs at the World Championships in Duisburg.

“We welcome back the experience and leadership of Alyce Wood, Riley Fitzsimmons and Curtis McGrath after a year off international competition and with an eye on the future we’re so thrilled for senior debutants Claudia Bailey, Natalia Drobot, Kailey Harlen, Ben Manning and Jakob Hammond.”

“Every opportunity to wear the green and gold is special and it’s one these athletes have worked so incredibly hard for with their National Centre of Excellence, State Institute and Academy of Sport coaches and support teams.

“We’re looking forward to seeing them in action, as the pointy end of the road to Paris 2024 starts to unfold in this critical qualification year,” she said.

Paddle Australia CEO Phil Jones said: “This is a critical year in our preparation for Paris 2024. It is exciting to be able to select such a strong team, with a great mix of youth and experience, for the 2023 World Cups and World Championships.

“This team is the product of a lot of hard work from a large number of people including coaches, support staff, selectors, volunteers and, of course, a very talented and committed group of athletes. We thank them all and wish the team well for the upcoming tour and look forward to seeing our Team Australia athletes at Nationals in Perth later in March.”,” he said.

Selections for the Australian Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe teams will be confirmed following the 2023 PA Canoe Sprint Championships in Perth, WA from 21-25 March 2023.

Article courtesy of Paddle Australia