Kayaking: Fouhy disappoints at world champs

New Zealand's Ben Fouhy reflected on a disappointing few days in Zagreb, Croatia, as the world kayaking championships K1 500m final was contested without him today.

The 2003 K1 1000m champion and Olympic silver medallist admitted he set himself too big a workload in three events, with his best result a fifth placing in his specialist K1 1000.

He and Steven Ferguson finished ninth and last in the K2 1000 final while in the K1 500, Fouhy was seventh in his semifinal to miss qualifying for today's final.

He admitted eight races in three days was too much.

"Putting it into context it was a bad day at the office," he told The Press newspaper after contesting two finals on Saturday.

"It was unrealistic to do all those races and try to be competitive. I know I'll never back up again."

Fouhy called this year "an experimentation year" in which he was using a different training programme and different blade on his paddle.

Fouhy clocked three minutes 34.205 seconds in the K1 1000 to finish well behind Olympic champion Norwegian Eirik Veras Larsen who won in 3min 29.165sec.

Just 17 minutes later he was on the water again for the K2 1000 final.

Fouhy said at future world championships he will have to concentrate on either the K1 or K2, considering their proximity on the programme.

"It's only five hours after the racing so I don't know what I'll concentrate on next year. It's been unfair on Stevo (Ferguson) and we haven't had a chance to show what we're capable of in the K2."

He said he did not expect such hot competition in Zagreb.

"Someone told me that the year after the Olympics the worlds are not so competitive, but all the top kayakers are here going fast, so that theory was a crock."

- NZPA