Whanganui kayak team wins 30 medal haul at New Zealand Canoe Sprint Nationals

A group photo of the Whanganui kayak team at Lake Karapiro. Photo / Supplied

Spearheaded by Tokyo Olympian Max Brown, the Whanganui kayak team has once again shown some of the bigger clubs in New Zealand that it isn't just team spirit that is alive and well in the provinces.

Spread over three days of intense racing at the New Zealand Canoe Sprint Nationals at Lake Karapiro, the Whanganui crew returned home with a haul of 30 medals.

Among the slightly more relaxed rules and regulations under the orange Covid status, the team provided spectators and supporters with a multitude of closely contested races, many being decided by well under a second.

And none more so than 15-year-old Angus Sewell, who raced in both under-18 and under-16 men's divisions.

After almost winning the U18 1000m in a thrilling come-from-behind finish to miss the title by less than a second (the first of many), Sewell went on to take golds in the U16 200, U16 MK2 200, and silvers in the U16 500, U16 K2 200, U16 K2 500, U16 K4 200, U16 K4 500, U16 MK4 200 and the U18 K2 200.

Aside from Sewell, the Whanganui club was well represented at U16 division across the male and female divisions. Brothers Jacob and Charlie Anderson both paddled well in the club team boats where they claimed well-earned silvers in the K4 200 and 500 events.

In the girl's division, Greta Cox and Addison O'Leary showed their team boat skills as they teamed with U14 paddlers Hayley Stewart and Zoe Anderson to take a thrilling silver in the K4 500 against the favoured bigger clubs.

Further thrilling racing was had in the newly formed mixed team boat format where O'Leary and Sewell teamed to take gold over 200m and teamed with Jacob Anderson and Greta Cox to contest the mixed K4 200, where, after posting the fastest time from the heats, they paddled to silver in a thrilling race which again highlighted how close, and how much depth, had developed in the U16 division.

In the U14 division Hayley Stewart showed how much a winter of training had improved her position among her peers as she raced in her second year of that division. In her favoured 500m race she took a bronze then teamed with clubmate Zoe Anderson to show their team boat skills weren't just limited to racing up an age group with their older club mates, as they won gold in the U14 K2 500 event.

First-year U14 paddlers Alexis Toy and Ryder Zimmerman both raced well and will benefit from seeing how their clubmates' improvements in a second season highlighted the obvious pathway for their own development.

The U14 men's division provided the surprise of the nationals when beginner paddlers Ben Tulloch and Hugo Cox showed competitive spirit and plenty of effort to find their way to a podium four times. Tulloch, having only raced at a small local regatta before, stepped up and raced his way to a silver medal over 200m and 500m and teamed with Cox, in his first regatta, to take a silver in the K2 200 and bronze in the K2 500.

In the next age group down, U12 paddlers Ashley Stewart and Alena Osborne also found their way to the podium, winning a silver in their K2 200 and K4 200 and a bronze in their K2 500, while also making A finals in their single boats.

In the U18 division, Sophie Taylor-Pope and Zane Mills-Nossiter both raced to the best of their ability in their first year in that division. Teaming up with members of other clubs, Mills-Nossiter was part of a K4 team that secured a gold over 500 and a bronze in the K2 500. Then along with Sewell, who stepped up an age group, Mills-Nossiter won a silver in the K2 over 200 metres.

In a late call-up, Aaron Cox raced in the individual masters 45-55 age group where he made A finals and then teamed up with the Waitara Club to race to a gold in the open masters K4 500 and bronze in the K4 200.

Not to be outdone by the club's age group stars, open division paddlers Liam Lace and Jack Clifton won gold in the open men's K4 200, along with a gold in the open mixed K4 with Abby Hurley.

Max Brown was unable to race his favoured K1 1000 to defend his national title due to a back injury sustained earlier in the week, however with the help of some rehab he was able to race shorter events. He took gold racing the K4 500 race, which was followed up with a silver when Brown and his Olympic teammate Kurtis Imrie paddled a closely fought K2 500 race, with a photo finish deciding the difference. Brown then backed up that race with another very closely fought 500 metres in his single boat, where he won silver.

Results:

Ashley Stewart - U12 - Silver K4 200, Bronze - K2 200, K2 500, A final K1 100, K1 200, K1 500

Alena Osborne - U12 - Silver K4 200, Bronze - K2 200, K2 500, A final K1 500

Ben Tulloch - U14 - Silver K1 200, K1 500, K2 200, Bronze - K2 500

Hugo Cox - U14 - Silver - K2 200, Bronze - K2 500

Hayley Stewart - U14 - Gold K2 500 - Bronze K1 500 - A final K1 200, U16 – Silver - K4 200, A final - K2 200

Zoe Anderson U14 - Gold - K2 500, B Final -K1 200, K1 500, U16 – Silver - K4 200

Alexis Toy U14 - B Final K1 200, K1 500

Ryder Zimmerman U14 - B Final - K1 500

Jacob Anderson - U16 - Silver K2 200, K2 500, K4 200, K4 500, MK4 200, B final K1 200, K1 500, - U18 -A final - K1 1000

Charlie Anderson – U16 - K4 200, K4 500, B final K1 200, K1 500

Angus Sewell - U16 - Gold – K1 200m, MK2 200 , Silver - U16 K1 500m, K2 200, K2 500, K4 200, K4 500, MK4 200, U18 Silver -K1 1000m, K2 200.

Addison O'Leary – U16 - Gold - MK2 200, Silver - K4 200, MK4 200, A final - K2 200, 500, B final - K1 200, 500

Greta Cox - U16 - K4 Silver 200, MK4 200, A final - K2 500, B final - K1 200, K1 500, MK2 200

Zane Mills-Nossiter - U18 - Gold K4 500, Silver - K2 200, Bronze - K2 500

Liam Lace - Open - Gold K4 200, MK4 200 A final K2 200, K1 1000, U23 K1 1000 Silver

Jack Clifton - Open - Gold K4 200 Gold Mk4 200 A final K2 200 B final K1 1000

Abby Hurley - Open - Gold MK4 200, A final - K2 500

Max Brown - Open - Gold K4 500, Silver - K2 500, K1 500