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The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are expected to include 30 of the top slalom paddlers in the United States including 2004 Olympians Scott Parsons (Bethesda, Md.), and Brett Heyl (Charlotte, N.C.). Parsons, who finished 6th in the men’s single kayak at the 2004 Athens Games, brought home the top U.S. performance at the 2007 ICF Slalom World Championships in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil with a 7th-place finish in the event. Heyl finished 8th in the men’s single kayak at the Athens Games and 37th in the event at the 2007 ICF World Championships. Women’s competition is expected to include U.S. paddler Ashley Nee (Washington, D.C.). Nee, 18, secured a 2008 Olympic Games competition slot for the U.S. in the women’s single kayak with a 23rd-place overall finish at the 2007 ICF World Slalom Championships.
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are the second of three competitions where U.S. paddlers can earn points towards selection to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. U.S. paddlers began accumulating points at the 2007 World Championships and will conclude the selection process at the Prague World Cup in June.
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for all sports is a collaborative, three-way partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee, the National Governing Bodies and the local organizing committee.
“USA Canoe/Kayak is excited to host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the Americas Olympic Continental Qualifier at our slalom team’s home course in Charlotte,” said David Yarborough, Executive Director of USA Canoe/Kayak. “The top slalom paddlers from our hemisphere will be in Charlotte. The intensity of competition will be great preparation for our athletes that are selected to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games.”
“The first-class facilities of the U.S. National Whitewater Center in combination with the efforts of USA Canoe/Kayak and the city of Charlotte, provides the ideal setting for selecting the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team,” said Steve Roush, the USOC’s Chief of Sport Performance. “The USOC is committed to ensuring that all of our Olympic hopefuls get to experience the thrill and excitement of a well-executed Olympic Trials event and we’re confident that Charlotte can deliver on this commitment.”
The Americas Olympic Continental Qualifier, which is expected to include over 20 paddlers from the U.S., Canada, Chile, Brazil, and Costa Rica, is the final qualification opportunity for North, Central and South American countries to earn 2008 Olympic Games berths in the three men’s and one women’s slalom canoe/kayak events.
The U.S., which has secured 2008 Olympic berths in the men’s and women’s single kayak events, will be vying for slots in the men’s single and double canoe. Canada, which has 2008 Olympic Games berths wrapped-up in the men’s and women’s single kayak, will also be vying for slots in the men’s single and double canoes. Among the international athletes expected to compete in Charlotte are four-time Canadian Olympian David Ford and two-time Canadian Olympic canoeist James Cartwright.
“Charlotte is extremely proud and excited to serve as host for the 2008 Olympic Team Trials in Slalom/ Canoe Kayak,” said Jeff Beaver, Executive Director of the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, whose city previously hosted the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Cycling and the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials. “The Queen City has a well-known tradition of providing quality venues and exemplary hospitality and amenities to the many competitors and visitors who come to our region, and we look forward to making the Olympic Trials just such an experience.”
The three-day world-class paddling competition includes a whitewater festival with entertainment and activities for the entire family. Access to the U.S. National Whitewater Center during the three-day competition requires admission to the event. Tickets go on sale in early 2008. |