| IRISH TEAM STRIKE SILVER IN CHORUS WILDWATER |
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Chorus Wild-Water World Cup A silver medal in the team race for the Irish team was an added bonus to the superb racing that occurred on the river Shannon at the Chorus Wild-Water World Cup events on the 21st-22nd of May. The E.S.B. released 45 cubic metres per second from Ardnacrusha dam to provide flood conditions for the races held between Castleconnell and Clareville, Co.Limerick, on the river Shannon. This proved more than enough to test the ability of the 170 competitors from 21 countries who were competing in the Chorus Wild-water World Cup events, which are part of a six-race series. Two events were held in England last week, two in Castleconnell last weekend and the final two rounds will be held in Wales next weekend. A team of 17 Irish paddlers competed against the best racers in the World in this individual time-trial format where the aim of the game is to get down the rapids as fast as possible. Four categories of racing were contested with the premier event, the Men's kayak class won by Johnny Schofield of Great Britain. He described the course as the one of the best in the World as the width of the river Shannon offered competitors many different options down the river. "The trick was to try guess which side of the river would give you the fastest water without the risk of being hit by a big wave which would kill your boat speed" he said. Rescue was provided by members of the Irish Canoe Union and Kilfinane Outdoor Education Centre, Co.Limerick, to those athletes for whom the conditions proved too tough. Best of the Irish in this event was two-times Olympian Gary Mawer who finished in 35th position. Wesley Bourke who was both race organiser and Irish team manager took to the water as well. He teamed up with fellow journalist Donal MacIntyre in the Canadian doubles category and got down the course without too much difficulty. They didn't match their 7th placing in the first round of the World cup series in Nottingham, England the previous week, but their result was still credible as Wesley is a registered blind athlete and Donal has to communicate to Wesley how to tackle each rapid. Their class was won by Salek and Riha of the Czech Republic. Gold medal in the Women's kayak race went to Michala Strnadova of the Czech Republic, who has dominated the World Cup events by winning all of them so far. Her winning margin of 15 seconds underlined her superiority over the 11 minute race course. Ireland had six competitors against the World number one, with 16 year-old Ros Steer of Dun Laoghaire Sea Scouts being the youngest athlete in the race. Caoimhe Ni Chuinn was the highest place Irish competitor in this class finishing in 16th place. In the Canadian singles event, Vladi Panato of Italy struck gold for the third time in the 2005 World Cup series, over six seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Consistent performances by Tadhg MacIntyre in this class, who was the highest placed Irish finisher on the weekend, leaves him in 10th place overall in the World Cup series. At the team event race, where three paddlers negotiate the 3km of rapids and waves together, Ireland won its first ever international medal in this discipline of canoe-sport, wild-water racing. The team comprising Keith McGuirk, Fergus Cooper and Tadhg MacIntyre, competing in the Canadian singles class, were almost 10 seconds ahead of the bronze medallists. All three Irish team members grew up together in Celbridge, and had trained together on the river Liffey specifically for this event. MacIntyre said their "13 minute performance was the result of years of training by all three of us and it was the self-belief of the paddlers that won the day. The third placed team were better than us on paper but that means nothing when you have three athletes that work for one another like we did." The German team, who were bronze medallists in the team event at the 2004 World Championships held in Germany, took gold. Ten members of the Irish team now go on to the final races of the Wildwater World Cup Series on the river tryweryn, Bala, North Wales. Further Information:Edwina Gore, Chorus, DD: 061 272822; Mobile: 087 6295323; Results online at: http://www.bala2006.org.uk/Results2005/ For captioned Photos in psp format please email A documentary on the event will be broadcast on TG4 on the 18th of June at RACE ORGANISER QUOTES Eamon Devoy (Chairman of Organising Ctte. & Irish Canoe Union Board Member) Wesley Bourke (Director of Irish Wild-Water Racing & athlete) Edwina Gore (Public Relations Officer of Chorus, race sponsors) IRISH TEAM MEMBER QUOTES Keith McGuirk (silver medallist in Team Event) Fergus Cooper (silver medallist in Team Event & multiple Liffey Descent winner) Gary Mawer (two times Olympian and former marathon World Cup Champion)
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