Eight Nova Scotian paddlers were named to Canada’s International Tour team after the first set of National Team Trials in Welland, Ontario.

Kayakers Jillian D’Alessio, Shaun Fair, Karen Furneaux, Lyall Hatton, Una Lounder, Genevieve Orton and Connor Taras along with canoer Andrew Russell will join the 32-member Canadian team travelling to Europe later this month to compete at World Cup events in Poznan, Poland and Szeged, Hungary.

This accomplishment puts these local paddlers closer to competing at the 2009 ICF Canoe World Championships to be held on Lake Banook from August 12^th to 16^th. Competing at an international event in front of a home crowd is a dream for many of these paddlers who grew up competing on Lake Banook.

Two more sets of national team trials will be held to finalize the team. Canadian athletes competing to make the team will have a chance to test out the World Championships venue when Lake Banook hosts National Team Trials 2 from June 28^th to 29^th. The official team will be selected after National Team Trials 3 to be held in Montreal, QC from July 17^th to 19^th.

For full race results from National Team Trials 1, click here.

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For more information contact:

Stacey Jones-Oxner

Communications Chair
902-424-4163

soxner@canoe09.ca

To download a copy of this press release, click here.

Tags: Andrew Russell, Canadian Team, Jillian D'Alessio, Karen Furneaux, Una Lounder