Kayak gold-medallist Ken Wallace has called for a major clean-up of the Sydney International Regatta Centre to ensure Australia’s last Olympic selection trials aren’t tangled by excess weeds.
Wallace this weekend lost his mantle as the country’s best sprint paddler after rising Manly star and K2 crewmate Murray Stewart swept through the Oceania titles in Penrith.
Stewart thrashed Wallace in the blue-riband K1 1000m, also won the K2 200m final, and was a member of the victorious K2 and K4 boats to be well positioned to compete in whatever events he prefers at the London Games.
The performance leaves Wallace in grave danger of missing out on Olympic selection for his pet K1 1000m event as he needs to improve six seconds in 10 days before the final qualifying regatta.
Stewart’s dominant performance has already ensured one former Olympic champion won’t be in London as veteran Clint Robinson crossed a distant seventh – 14.21 seconds behind the 25-year-old.
But the dramas weren’t restricted to the results as the weedy SIRC course wreaked havoc with competitors throughout the regatta.
Wallace made an unsuccessful protest about the state of the course after finishing third in Saturday’s K1 1000 final while racing was postponed for an hour on Sunday as coaches, officials and young paddlers attempted to reduce the weed.
“It was great what they were trying to do but it was a battle that they were never going to win,” said Wallace, who demanded an improvement for the March 14-17 national titles.
“They need a lot of people in a lot of boats with a lot of rakes.
“The AIS and Australian Canoeing don’t want to have problems like this because it doesn’t look good for anyone.”
AC high performance director Richard Fox stressed the governing body will do all they can to ensure better conditions for the national titles, where Olympic spots will be finalised.
For Wallace, he must win the K1 1000 final at the national titles to force a deciding race-off at the end of the regatta.
“I’ve got my back to the wall,” he admitted.
There was some solace for the Gold Coaster with his victories in the K2 and K4 boats with Stewart putting a deposit on a team boat position for London.
With the Olympic schedule making it near impossible for one paddler to compete in all three classes, Fox indicated Wallace was in prime position to qualify in the K2 if Stewart continued his winning ways to be a serious medal contender in the K1 and K4.
Perth’s Alana Nicholls was the women’s star of the regatta, winning the K1 200 and 500 double and appears to be a virtual certainty to compete in both in London.
