2007 USACK Sprint Nationals: Day 4 Summary
Day 4 Summary
August 17, 2007
The end of the fourth day of the 2007 USACK National Championships also brought an end to the 500 meter distance, the second Olympic distance raced at the regatta. While the wind still proved to be a factor, it was not nearly as intense as it had been the previous days of the race. The relative calm, combined with the bright sunshine proved to be a winning combination, conjuring up exceptional conditions for the races. While the 500 meter finals were the top draw for the day’s races, there was also buzz about the 5000 meter races and the anticipated return of the 10000 meter event. The 5k and 10k, both held at the end of the day, saw paddlers circling around the course, wake-riding, pacing and using whatever trickster strategies they could to gain an advantage in the race. However, the 500 meter events were truly the heart and soul of the day’s events, and arguably the default distance in the canoe and kayak world. With such important races, over such an important distance, athletes did not disappoint or shrink from the competition. Indeed, they provided a series of spectacular races, many decided by mere fractions of a second.
One such event was the K1 Women’s Bantam final. Spectators watching were wowed by the intensity, and even more impressed by the finish, one of the closest of the day, with about a second of time between the winning boat, Molly McComas of Gig Harbor, and the third-place finisher, Daphne Austin of Seattle. Lanier’s Chelsea Smith finished in the number two spot, about half a second behind McComas. In the K2 Men’s Senior final, former Olympians Peter Newton and John Mooney managed to reclaim their old title of 500 meter national champions, edging out fellow Hawaii paddlers Brandon Wood and Pat Dolan by less than a half a second.
Saturday will be the final day of racing, with the lightning-quick 200 meter distance being raced. Races begin at 8:00.
www.scn.org/rec/sckc/usack2007
Contacts: USACK-tamara@usack.org | SCKC-david@firstharvest.org
