Re: [Paddlewise] The Olympics

On Fri, Sep 15, 2000 at 12:16:43PM -0500, Patrick Maun wrote:
> I guess it is about time to start this thread. I'm sure it will 
> consist of mostly lack of watersports coverage for those of us in the 
> US without access to Canadian TV. What is the word on the streets? 
> Think we'll get any NBC coverage? Anyone out there in Sydney? What's 
> the gossip there?

Well, my sport (whitewater slalom) is in the games, albeit with a greatly
reduced field from 1992.  Back then, each country could send 3 boats
in each of the 4 recognized classes.  Now, each country had to qualify
for a greatly reduced number of slots, with the result being that many
paddlers completely capable of medaling aren't even there.  The US,
for example, has 4 boats competing: one each in K-1W, C-1, K-1, and C-2.
To make matters worse, they (the IOC) has instituted a "qualifier" race --
which, in the case of the C-2's, reduces the field from a whopping 10
to a tiny 8.  Yep...guess those two other boats weren't "qualified"
to be there even though they earned the spots in competition at
the World Championships last year.   I guess having an extra day
of racing in order to ring the cash registers really *is* more
important than having as many athletes as possible face off
head-to-head for medals.

Cynicism aside, the US has excellent chances in all four classes...

In K-1W, Rebecca (Bennett) Giddens blew away the field at US Nationals
last month, and was only 7% of Scott Shipley's time -- and Scott ain't
slow.  She won a World Cup race earlier this year and may be peaking
at just the right time.

In K-1, there's 3-time World Cup Champion Scott Shipley -- who has
focused on this competition almost to the exclusion of everything
else this year.  Scott is fully capable of winning any race he enters.

In C-1, there's veteran Davey Hearn.  Yeah, he's getting older (aren't
we all?) but it would be a mistake to count him out.  After all,
he was "too old" when he won his 3rd World Championship in 1995.

In C-2, there's veteran and former World Champion Lecky Haller and
his partner Matt Taylor.  If the water's high and the course is
hard, their combination of power and reach will be hard to beat.

---Rsk
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