Whitewater Slalom Results and Video
http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=200672
For Immediate Release
San Marcos, Texas – February 17, 2007
Olympic Whitewater Slalom Team Trials Qualifier
Heather Corey Captures Whitewater Gold at San Marcos
It was a busy day at the new Rio Vista Whitewater Park
at San Marcos, Texas… in the shadow of the Texas
Hill Country.
Forty-five athletes traveled from all over the country
to compete in the first Olympic Whitewater Slalom Team
Trials Qualifying Events of the 2008 season. Twelve
earned the right to move to the next round of
competition for selection to the United States Olympic
Team, which will be held April 25-27 in Charlotte,
North Carolina. The event was also a qualifier for the
Junior Olympics, which will be held in Wisconsin in
July.
Heather Corey flew in from Manchester, England to put
on
a dazzling show of technique for the 300+ spectators.
She blazed down the challenging fast-flowing course
with a total score of 175.2 seconds. Heather has dual
citizenship for the USA and UK, learning to race
slalom in America as a junior, and then going on to
win six world championship medals for Great Britain.
She is now competing for a slot on the United States
Olympic Team, and is a strong contender for a medal at
the Olympics this summer in Beijing.
Austin Kiefer from Ashville, North Carolina turned in
a powerful performance in Men’s Kayak… the fastest
score of the day at 149.0 seconds.
Local Texas Favorites Ben Kvanli and Mark Poindexter
move on to Charlotte… winning the Men’s Canoe
Doubles event, while Tyler Hinton from Lafayette,
Colorado took home gold in the Canoe Singles.
This highly successful even could make San Marcos,
Texas a magnet for winter-time whitewater slalom.
"With this event we’ve successfully announced to
the canoeing world that we have this beautiful warm
water whitewater park, and that it’s really worth it
for people to come here for winter training and
competitions." Michelle Kvanli of Power Olympic
Outdoor.
Results for the Olympic Team Trials Qualifier Event:
(winners, their hometown, and their combined score for
two runs (times
plus penalties)
Womens Kayak
Heather Corey (Manchester, England / 175.2)
Jessica Subido (Granite Bay, California / 185.4)
Kristen Bierle (Boise, Idaho / 240.1)
Men’s Kayak
Austin Kiefer (Ashville, North Carolina / 149.0)
Pablo McCandless (Charlotte, North Carolina / 153.7)
Ben Kvanli (San Marcos, Texas / 158.8)
Canoe (Single)
Tyler Hinton (Lafayette, Colorado / 188.2)
Matt Fritz (Dallas, Texas / 244.2)
Laura Egerdal (Saint Louis, Missouri / 304.0)
Canoe (Doubles)
Ben Kvanli and Mark Poindexter (San Marcos and Austin, Texas / 193.7)
Tyler Hinton and Will Grubb (Lafayette, Colorado / 305.0)
Complete race results are posted at:
http://www.kayakinstruction.org/Kayak_Instruction/2008_Athlete_Qualifier_Registration.html
Jim Stuart
Competition Chairman
Austin, TX