Canoeing: Champion's son leading return to the glory days

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Twenty years after he paddled his way to Olympic glory, Ian Ferguson is hoping for more of the same in Athens next year.

But Ferguson is not planning a comeback. He is hoping son Steven and his mates will follow him on to the dais.

"Canoeing is the strongest it has been for years," said Ferguson.

"This group has gone from nothing to record some outstanding times."

Steven Ferguson, Peter Longdil, Mike Walker and Ben Fouhy have been together in the K4 for only a short time but have recorded 2m 57s for the 1000m.

Ferguson snr, Paul MacDonald, Grant Bramwell and Alan Thompson won in 3m 02.28s at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

"Last weekend at the national championships, they caned Australia, who had a world champion in their crew," said Ferguson.

"The times they are doing suggest they will be a real force next year."

In the K1 1000m, the four finished within 1s of each other.

Fouhy, a former multi-sports competitor, won in 3m 32s, breaking MacDonald's long-standing New Zealand record.

Thompson won the K1 1000m in Los Angeles in 3m 45.73s.

In other transtasman contests, the Australians won a surf ski series at Waiheke.

"I've been keeping our boys off the surf skis lately," said Ferguson. "This is the most encouraging thing for our sport in years.

"We are heading away in mid-May for World Cup regattas in Hungary, Poland and Germany where we will mix it up by getting them to compete in a variety of events.

"I can guarantee we will come back with some really good results.

"Beyond that are the world championships in Atlanta in September, at which the Olympic qualifying spots for Athens will be up for grabs.

"I have no doubt we will get some crews through."

This quartet, with back-up Owen Hughes, give the sport real hope of a return to the glory days.

A top six finish in K2 and K4 events at the worlds and top eight in K1 would guarantee a place at the Olympics.

Walker and Longdil appear the best bet in the K2.

Steven Ferguson, a Sydney Olympian in 2000 when he swam 100m and 200m breaststroke, won the national championships K1 500m, the same event in which his father won one of his three golds in Los Angeles.