Senior Canoe Sprint World Championships Results - Women's Canoe

It was an amazing two weeks in Nova Scotia, Canada for the 2009 ICF Sprint World Championships and the Pre-Worlds Development Camp for Womens Canoe (which was Aug 6-11). Women, from various countries, raised their game and did personal bests on our grandest stage to date. This was the second World Championships to include women's canoe as "Exhibition",  first being at Lake Lanier, in 2003. Pam Boteler and Hannah Menke competed at that event as well and have competed in every international event to include women's canoe since 2001. 

The highlight of the event was the Silver Medals won by Rockaway's Hannah Menke in the C1.  Strong performances were also put in by the C2 crew of Pam Boteler (WCC) and Anna Crawford (LCKC) in the C2 500 (5th) and C2 200 (6th). Both races were hotly contested and the crew posted 2nd fastest time run by a US crew ever - 2:21.  Hannah Menke and Kaitlyn McKelroy hold this record at 2:17 (2008).   Recovering strongly from a slow start, the crew still set a new American Record for the C2 200, with a time of 54.4.

RESULTS

C1 Women's 500m
C1 Women's 200m
C2 Women's 500m
C2 Women's 200m

USA womens canoe being on the medal stand is HUGE for our country. The performances of Team USA for women's canoe at Worlds, added with future opportunities, should and hopefully will, spur development nationwide.

We are progressing as a Country, but we need dedicated singles and team boat paddlers - people who train together frequently and are committed to the team crew boats. That commitment showed in Dartmouth as other countries are "getting it". We also need athletes who can push those in the lead to higher levels, to create more intra-country competition and intra-club competition. This means coaches at the Club level need to support women in canoe. 
 
While Canada remains the clear leaders in talent and depth, the U.S. is not far behind. We were definitely in the thick of every race at Worlds and look forward to medal performances in the future.  
 
Of primary importance was the ICF taking notice and complimenting us on a great "Exhibition" event. Eleven (11) countries were represented, across 3 continents: Canada, USA, Brazil, Ecuador, Great Britain, France, Finland, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Singapore (a last minute entry). The 2010 World Championships Organizing Committee from Poland, the 2010 World Cup Committee from France and the London 2012 Olympics Organizing Committee also took notice. There is also very good possibility of women's canoe events at the 2010 World Cup in France.
 
There are still people - including officials - who do not believe we belong, and continue to say so in public. These statements are fear-based and have no place in the conversation. They have no justifiable reason for our exclusion. The smart countries have been and will continue to develop women in canoe and will realize points on the World stage as a result. 
 
THE ICF WILL BE VOTING REGARDING ADDING Women's Canoe as an Official Event at the 2010 Worlds in Poznan (C1 200 only). MUST BE RATIFIED BY THE ICF BOARD. This means womens canoe will now earn points on the international level! And points could mean funding for many countries and athletes or coveted World Team Championships. We are working to get all four of the events races from the 2009 Worlds into the 2010 Worlds schedule. We are also working to ensure women's canoe is included in the regular ICF Development Program and on the Pre-Worlds Development Camp Program, forever.

There is still a ray of hope for a 2012 exhibition, but much work remains to be done.

-Pam Boteler, President USA WomenCAN  www.justcanoeit.com

Tags: Canoe Sprint