Young paddlers make history

NSWIS paddler Riley Fitzsimmons has enjoyed a history-making weekend following a bronze medal at the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint Junior and U23 World Championships in Hungary.

Fitzsimmons joined compatriots Jy Duffy, Jayden Ellis and Sean Lohse in the final of the junior K4 1000m event, with the Australian team, coached by NSWIS Head Coach Tim Jacobs, winning bronze in a time of 3:02.877 behind Spain and Russia.

The bronze medal was Australia’s first in the K4 1000m event a junior or U23 world championship event, and Australia’s first medal in a team boat event at that level since 1985.

The Australian crew was in third position at each of the 250m, 500m and 750m splits, before securing a podium finish by just over two seconds from the eventual winners.

Fitzsimmons was also part of the men’s junior K2 1000m crew that finished seventh.