While athletes Ed McKeever, Tim Brabants, and Rachel Cawthorn were bustling to the front of the ‘headline’ queue after the recent selection regatta, a subplot of equal intrigue is running wildly in the canoe class, nudging canoeing aficionados to recognise the fact that the kayak is not the only craft.
Let me shed some light on this particular drama.
GB has been awarded a host nation slot in the canoe class at Games time – a place at the altar of Olympic sport. GB has the opportunity to qualify a place outright at the Olympic second round Continental qualification in Poznan(16/17 May).
Matt Lawrence will race the C1 1000m and Richard Jefferies will race the C1 200m. And here is how the different nuances can shake down.
Richard Jefferies in action at 2011 World Championships
If Matt and Rich qualify an Olympic place (first or second place outside of qualified nations), or Matt qualifies alone, then the business is concluded and its bridesmaid dresses all round for everyone else.
If Rich qualifies a C1 200m place, then the door of opportunity creaks open forJames Train, to race againstMatt Lawrence for the host nation spot over the 1000m distance.
If neither qualify, then James Train will join the pair at Duisburg (World Cup 2). After this regatta, the task in hand for the selectors will be to evaluate all of the performances and to choose the athlete with the potential to deliver the best result for GB at the Games – a process similar to choosing between a 1500m athlete and a 300m athlete. To put this in context, ask former runners Lord Coe and Michael Johnson about their training methods, their tactics and depth of the field. Their legends differ as night does day. Other than running on the same track, and inhabiting the same planet. That’s pretty much it. Period.
And that’s what the GB selectors will have to do – compare an illustrious chalk with a glorious cheese, which may end up with a hint of blue through it – depending on the outcome.
The denouement to this tale has a distance to travel for these three so very different athletes – Lawrence, Train and Jefferies. Matt is a former junior kayak athlete from Leighton Buzzard, who trains under the watchful eye of Tibor Herbent (Leamington Spa) while James is the progeny of the famous canoe bloodline that is Steve Train.
Richard Jefferies is a World Championship B finalist and a former Loughborough rugby centre, whose boating experience prior to 2008 amounted to riding the ferry between the Isle of Wight and Southampton. He adds a fine sprinkling of seasoning to the pot of this particular canoe stew.
Watch it unfold through the imminent World Cup regattas.
photos courtesy of AEphotos
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