Great Britain’s three London 2012 sprint canoe medal winners have all been selected for this season’s team following success at the selection regatta in Nottingham.
Ed McKeever, the Olympic K1 200m champion, has been chosen to race in the first two World Cups of the season, Szeged in Hungary (10-12 May) and Racice in the Czech Republic (17-19 May).
Meanwhile London 2012 K2 200m bronze medallists Jon Schofield and Liam Heath will join forces again, also competing at both World Cup events.
“Liam and I have been focussing on the K2 solely and training the whole winter for K2 200,” said Schofield after the pair won both their K2 200m finals at Nottingham.
“We know how well we work together as a partnership so it was really encouraging to have two solid races this weekend, to show that we are both coming up to form and have got good consistency as well.
“We will hopefully perform well in the two World Cups and get ourselves selected for the Europeans and World Championships later this year.
“We've had a second place and a third-place before in the Worlds and a gold in the Europeans, so we would like to win the World Championships (Duisberg, Germany 27 August to 1 September).
“It would be a stepping stone to Rio and it’s about making sure we are at the forefront of things in a few years time.”
Selected alongside McKeever, Schofield and Heath for trips to Hungary and the Czech Republic are newly crowned men’s K1 1000m national champion Jon Boyton and Ed Rutherford and Andy Daniels.
London Olympian Richard Jefferies, winner of the two men’s C1 200m finals at Nottingham, will compete in both World Cup events as well.
Confirmed in this year’s GB Canoeing women’s team are London Olympians Jess Walker, who will compete in the K1 200 and 500m in World Cups one and two, and Rachel Cawthorn, selected for K1 200m in World Cup 2 and K1 500m.
The women’s K4 500m will see London Olympians Angela Hannah and Louisa Sawers return to international competition for World Cups one and two. Joining them as K4 crewmates are Lani Belcher and Hayleigh Mason.
Amongst the new faces in the 2013 GB Senior team is 23-year-old Hannah Brown, who finished second in the second K1 200m final at the Nottingham selection event.
“It’s nice to be able to see where you are against all the big girls,” said Brown.
“It's really good to be able to sit on a start line next to them; quite inspirational and motivational when you do well against them.”
© Sportsbeat 2013