Border teenage duo earn selection to SA squad
Paddlers included in team headed for Czech Republic in September
Border Canoe Club had reason to celebrate this weekend when two of its teenage members were included in a junior national squad.
Kerry Elliott and Daniel Vanzyl Smit have been named in Canoeing SA’S squad of 16 junior paddlers selected to take part in the Olympic Hopes Sprint Regatta in Račice in the Czech Republic September 1012.
The two were named after the successful conclusion of the national and SA Schools Sprint Championships at Shongweni Dam earlier this month. The young sprint paddlers will have the chance to experience an international-scale regatta for the first time as part of their long-term ambitions to compete in the Olympic discipline.
Canoeing SA president Kim Pople said the unique Olympic Hopes regatta was important as it offered emerging sprinters the chance to race against world-class competition and gain experience in a less pressured environment.
Kerry Elliott and Daniel Van-zyl Smit were selected to take part in the Olympic Hopes Sprint Regatta in Račice, Czech Republic
“This regatta is extremely important for the sprint discipline, allowing our U15, U16 and U17 paddlers a chance to compete at an international event, without the stress of it being a World Championship, ” Pople said.
“Friendships forged last a lifetime with fellow athletes from all over the world, and the experience gained is invaluable. For many this is their first trip overseas, so there is always much excitement.
“The sprint committee made the decision in 2019 to support this regatta, similar to the Bochum regatta in Germany, which many of our current senior paddlers attended as juniors. This will be our second trip to the Olympic Hopes Regatta.
“Congratulations to everyone selected, we wish you well with your preparation,” she said.
The team is:
● U17: Helen Jansen van Vuuren, Finlay Leask, Matthew Privett, Joshua Simpkins, Simon Chubb
● U16: Neriyah Dill, Amy Duffett, Kerry Elliott, Caitlyn Evans, Luke Salmon, Lungelo Shange, Nicholas Erwee
● U15: Jordan Klopper, Theo Dreyer, Tomé dos Santos, Daniel van Zyl-smit. — Gameplan Media