Junior Team arrive in Europe

The New Zealand Junior Sprint Kayak Team departed this week for the European stage of their 2011 campaign to the Junior World Champs in Brandenburg, Germany from 29th-31st July. The team have been steadily building up, training away in their own local centres for the last five months in anticipation of footing it with best of the world later this month. Two successful camps were held at the Blue Lake in the build up and the athletes showed good resilience in their efforts, training in testing, cold conditions to try and work through team boat combinations to be further built on in Europe.

The 2011 Team is now settled in to their digs in Racice where they are set to spend three solid weeks training in the Czech Republic, before competing at the Czech National Champs on the 23rd-24th July and then moving on to Brandenburg for the big event, the Junior World Champs.

It is an exciting time for these athletes and a first European trip for many so it will be an eye opening learning experience for most, and a hugely positive learning curve with regards to international racing. The Team will be coached by Christchurch’s Leigh Barker and Anne Cairns of Palmerston North will be Team Manager for the campaign.  Along with CRNZ staff and helpful parents a lot of effort has been put in by these people to help get this trip organised and off the ground.

The 2011 New Zealand Junior Team members are:

We’ll be updating how the team get on so keep an eye out for news and bits and pieces from the trip.

-   Anne Cairns, Team Manager