Gisborne trio in NZ squad for canoe sprint worlds

Auckland-based Gisborne kayaker Alicia Hoskin has been named in the New Zealand squad for the canoe sprint world champs in Germany next month. Poverty Bay Kayak Club members Quaid Thompson and Zac Ferkins are also in the squad. Picture supplied

Alicia Hoskin’s Paris Olympics Games mission remains well on course.

The Auckland-based Gisborne paddler has been named in the New Zealand team for the ICF Paracanoe & Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, from August 23 to 27.

Poverty Bay Kayak Club members Quaid Thompson and Zach Ferkins are also in a powerful Kiwi squad.

“This is one of our strongest all-round teams that we have fielded in recent history,” Canoe Racing New Zealand general manager of performance Nathan Luce said after the 15-strong team were announced on Thursday.

“Our athletes have been motivated since the completion of the World Cup in Szeged, remaining humble and not letting past results affect their determination to improve and set the bar higher in August.”

After a training block on the Gold Coast, Hoskin headed to Pusiano, Italy, to join most of the rest of the squad.

The team will train in Italy for the next few weeks before heading to Bordeaux, France, to prepare for the world champs.

“The stakes are higher than usual at this world champs, with it being an Olympic/Paralympics qualifying event for Paris 2024,” Luce said.

Hoskin told The Gisborne Herald yesterday that she  was “super-excited to be selected for the world championship team, especially as this year is Olympic qualification as well”.

“Our mission this year is both to set ourselves up with the best opportunities to perform in the Paris Olympics 2024 and to make our mark on the world stage as a New Zealand team.

“This year my priority is the K4 500 as this is the only opportunity to qualify the K4 spot for Paris 2024.

“It’s never lost on me, the privilege it is to wear the silver fern. We come from a small country but the paddlers who have gone before me have helped create a pretty powerful New Zealand paddling team.”

Canoe Racing NZ is aiming to have as many athletes compete at the Paris Games as possible.

To achieve that, they need to qualify as many boats as they can at the regatta.

Countries can qualify only one K4 team, two K2 combos and two K1 padders, so for whatever boats they do qualify, the paddlers who will fill those spots will be confirmed next year.

New Zealand squad for world champs — Paracanoe team: Corbin Hart (North Shore), Peter Cowan (Haeata Ocean Sports), Scott Martlew (Arawa).

Women’s kayak team: Aimee Fisher (Hawke’s Bay), Alicia Hoskin (North Shore), Danielle McKenzie (North Shore), Dame Lisa Carrington (Eastern Bay), Olivia Brett (Awara), Tara Vaughan (North Shore).

Men’s kayak team: Ashton Reiser (North Shore), Hamish Legarth (Hawke’s Bay), Kurtis Imrie (Mana), Max Brown (Whanganui Multisport), Quaid Thompson (Poverty Bay), Zach Ferkins (Poverty Bay).