Coast pair lead way

GOLD Coasters Curtis McGrath and Susan Seipel will lead Australia’s charge at the Paracanoe World Cup in Hungary this weekend after the withdrawal of world champion Amanda Reynolds.

Former Gold Coast resident Reynolds, also a Paralympic silver medallist, withdrew from the event to concentrate on rehabilitating a wrist injury in time for the world titles.

Her absence leaves Australia with a team of just three in Szeged, where McGrath and Seipel will be joined by teen Dylan Littlehales.

The event is the first for McGrath since the announcement that va’a outrigger canoes will be added to the program for Tokyo in 2020.

Already a multiple world champion in kayaking, McGrath also won Paralympic gold when the sport made its Games debut in Rio in 2016.

Seipel is also looking at adding a second event in Tokyo. She has won the past three VL2 world titles and was third in the KL2 in Rio.