It was a busy day on the water for Nova Scotians yesterday in medal events at the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships at Lake Banook.
In an exciting race that had the crowd roaring, the men’s C-4 1,000 team of Halifax’s Richard Dalton, Dartmouth’s Ben Russell, and Ian Mortimer of Ottawa and Thomas Hall of Pointe-Claire, Que., surged to finish fifth.
“Unfortunately, there were a couple of other crews that came out very, very strong,” said Dalton, a 2004 Olympian and two-time world bronze-medallist. “But we were in the fight and we really did the best that I think we were able to do, and that’s a great feeling. And the crowd was awesome.
“The crowd’s yelling and you can’t help but start to pick it up, even if you don’t know where the strength is coming from. It appears when the crowd is with you.”
For Russell, the race had special meaning.
“On top of these being my first world championships, I think for a lot of people in Canadian canoeing it’s a bit of a special emphasis to this one,” said Russell. “And (the championships) are at home, but Banook Canoe Club prematurely lost one of our marquee athletes in February when my best friend, Michael Schaus, passed away at the age of 21, in his sleep.
“So, you will notice that all the C-4 are wearing these black bands in commemoration of the wonderful life that he lived, so he is still with us.”
Ben’s brother, Andrew, and his 2008 Olympic partner Gabriel Beauchesne-Sevigny of Trois-Rivieres, Que., placed eighth in the C-2 1,000.
“It was a good effort, we just didn’t quite climb the travel speed today with the boat glide and that,” said Andrew Russell. “But we worked really hard, we left our best effort on the water but unfortunately it just wasn’t quite enough today. So we’ll just try to build on this and use it as motivation for the next few races.”
In another medal event, Genevieve Orton of Lake Echo and crewmates Emilie Fournel, Kristin Gauthier and Mylanie Barre were eighth in the K-4 500.
“Obviously, it’s not where we wanted to be but we did what we could, so it is what it is,” said Orton, competing in her first senior world championships.
“The crowds are awesome, they really helped. It’s really exciting to be here. Obviously, it’s nerve-wracking but it’s under control. It’s great, I love it, it’s so much fun.”
Meanwhile, Jillian D’Alessio of Middle Sackville and Victoria Tuttle of Ottawa - a team formed three weeks ago, finished ninth in the K-2 1,000.
“We got off to a great start,” commented D’Alessio. “We were surrounded by some powerhouses, so we were feeling the effects of that for a little bit.
“But other than that, we put it together as best as we could. We worked really hard. I am happy with our effort. We left it out there.”
