CHEERS AND TEARS

So, this happened today …..

“OMG, tears on the supporters side of the course”.

“Think that’s the first ever C1 men’s final on world level in any age.”

“I’m at the hotel and going to get an Uber as JACK JUST QUALIFIED FOR THE FINAL!! …..Oh, am I really the only one still at the hotel? … Wow that’s poor form …. Maybe I knew he was going to make it and just waiting for the final …”

After historic results already this year for Callum G in Lee Valley and Luuka in Bratislava, Jack Egan (Jegan) put his paddlesworth in to become the first New Zealand male to make a world-level C1 final across any age. Many congratulations Jack, to you and your parents who support you so much, and to whom the supporters’ tears likely belonged.

Rob's nerves would rather be judging his son than watching him race!

Jamie The Guru has kindly sent me the following list of NZL World Championships finalists to date:

• Open: Luuka Jones (K1: 4th, 2017), Donald Johnstone (K1: 5th, 1987), Mike Dawson (K1: 7th, 2017).
• U23: Finn Butcher (K1: 4th, 2018), Jane Nicholas/Haylee Dangen/Kelly Travers (C1 teams: 3rd 2014).
• U18: Jack Egan (C1: 9th 2019)Zack Mutton (K1: 5th, 2018), River Mutton (extreme: 3rd 2018), Zack Mutton (K1: 8th, 2017), Daniel Munro/Luke Robinson (C2: 2nd, 2014), Callum Gilbert (K1: 8th, 2014), Kelly Travers (C1: 6th, 2010), Andrew Robinson/Bryden Nicholas (C2: 9th, 2006), Mike Dawson (K1 9th, 2004).

I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Final quote above is Callum G preparing for his U23K1M finals day btw – where he will be joined by Jack D, then Hannah and Oliver in U18 C1W and K1M respectively. And while I’m at it, well done to Oli today also, placing 24^th in his first world semi-final with a couple of junior years remaining.

Who will be the next Kiwi in the kiss and cry zone?

While Jegan didn’t have his best run in the final, he certainly gave his all. And he contributed to what’s a bit of a resetting of the NZL performance bar. It’s been said to me by athletes and coaches alike this year that “making semi-finals shouldn’t be the goal”. Spoken from a former Olympian: “There are definitely signs of progress, but I feel we can still do better with getting our athletes to deliver to their best on the start line.”

My own observation (after 4 Olympics with different sports) is that canoe slalom is ruthless and demands precise execution under pressure. Starting the semi-final 17^th, Jack launched himself into 7^th on the leader board, then sat chewing his fingernails (or was that me?) as the next 13 paddlers failed to displace him – the spread from 5^th to 8^th being just 0.18 sec! Nerve jangling in a way unlike swimming, triathlon or rugby where I’ve been before, where everyone starts together and you know the result when you cross the line.

We’ve had a few such margins this week: Kensa sitting 10^th in the repechage for half a dozen runs, only to be displaced by the last paddler, who then suffered a delayed penalty while the score board flicked Kensa from 10^th to 11^th and back to 10^th in moments; Oli Puchner steeling himself for 2 repechages in a day – with the mental focus to execute within the top 10 on both occasions; and the other way of course for George flying in to the semi-final in both heats runs 1 and 2 before incurring narrow 50s.

The latter gives me lead to add something to yesterday’s insights behind the scenes, as we did of course lodge an enquiry into George’s repechage penalty, with our video angle being inconclusive. On a day like yesterday’s Junior day, the officials team are making something like 22,400 gate judgements, and with the systems they now have in place, the strong consensus is that the amount they get wrong is a handful if any: There are 3 to 4 skilled judges calling each gate, plus a live video judge, backed up by a synchronised multi-camera slow-mo review system; anything judged with variation or hesitation automatically goes for review; anything highly consequential goes for review; anything enquired goes for review; and the coaches are welcomed in to watch. This openness of process goes a long way to building trust, which in the end stands afore the technology itself. Thanks again to Jean Michel and his amazing team.

And so we turn to competition Day 4 – men’s K1 and women’s C1 for U23s and Juniors. Go well Team NZ – let’s make some more supporters cry!