Kayaker closes on Olympics

PICTURE: PHOTOSPORT: Tauranga K1 paddler Luuka Jones powers her way through the whitewater.

Luuka Jones credits a chance meeting in Tauranga with a New Zealand sportinbg great for putting her on the verge of packing her kayak and heading to the Beijing Olympics.
Jones, 19, qualified for the Olympics in the women's K1 whitewater slalom aftera brilliant semifinal finish at the weekend's Oceania championships on Sydney's Penrith course.
Another Tauranga paddler, James Dawson, also qualified in the single seat canoe, although both have still to satisfy the New Zealand Olympic Committee that they'll be competitive in Beijing.
They now have to finish in the top 16 nations at one of the first two World Cup events in Europe in June before they can pack their bags for Beijing.
A stunned Jones said a chance meeting a few weeks ago in Tauranga with Dame Susan Devoy had steeled her heading into the all-or-nothing Oceania event.
"I just kept repeating to myself the advice Dame Susan had given me, which was be realistic in my expectations because it was more than your average competition, with so much at stake, which meant the nerves were a little frazzled," Jones admitted.
"I went to Sydney wanting and expecting to do well but Dame Susan said not to put too much pressure on myself because my main goal is still the 2012 Olympics."
Jones, who spent last year training and racing in Europe, including working at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, England, was the fastest of the three Kiwi K1 women in qualifying at the weekend, reaching the semifinal alongside Nelson rival Tania Perrett.
It came down to a a difference of 0.84s after Jones rolled her kayak nearing the last gate and narrowly avoided being washed down the last drop.
"I nailed it, but it was a close call. I was having a really good run until that last drop when I rolled, which cost me a lot of time.
"There was nothing in it at the end, and my time in that semifinal meant I didn't qualify for the final, but Tania didn't quite nail it either.
"I was pretty disbelieving when I was told I had qualified because I was sure I'd blown it."
With 15 boats going through in the C1 men, Dawson ensured he staked hisclaim for the Olympic berth by makingthe semifinal, 1.7s ahead of Mark Yungnickel.
His brother Michael, top qualifier in the national selection series, was the only K1 Kiwi male to qualify for the final but he missed out to Australian Warwick Draper by 4s.
C2 canoeists Bryden Nicholas and Andrew Robinson missed the top-10 semifinal cut-off and the chance to race the Australians for the Olympic spot.
Jones heads back to Nottingham on April 29, where she will train until the World Cup events in Slovenia and the Czech Republic in June.
The former Otumoetai College student knows she'll have her work cut out if she's to become New Zealand's first Olympic female slalom paddler.
"It's a big ask to get top-16 at a World Cup and far from guaranteed, but everything from here is geared towards that, to show the NZOC it's worth sending me to Beijing.
"To make a compelling case I'm going to have to paddle better than I ever have.
"A year ago it wouldn't have been anywhere near realistic but I've improved so much since last year and it's in my hands now."