Olympic Kayakers Racing in Norwich This Weekend
This weekend Whitlingham Great Broad plays host to 2020 Olympic flat water kayaker Emily Lewis, who is taking part with a string of other top level sprint kayakers in the inaugural British University and Colleges (BUCS) Sprint Kayak and Canoe Championships.
Emily said: “I’m really excited to head up to Norwich this weekend for the first ever canoe sprint BUCS event!
“It’s awesome to see our amazing sport be part of this wider competition. I’ve heard quite a few athletes have entered and it’s going to be a really exciting competitive event.”
Emily will be racing for Nottingham Trent University and is up against a strong field which contains nearly all the top women paddlers in Great Britain. Other home grown talent racing for the UEA include Toby Booth and Finbarr O’Brien. Competitors will be racing over 200m and 500m as well as in a mass start 5 kilometre race.
The BUCS Sprint Canoe and Kayak Championship takes place on Whitlingham Great Broad from 10.30am until 5pm on Saturday 18th and from 9.40am through to 2pm on Sunday 19th March. Spectators are welcome – it’s free to watch and food is available all day at Whitlingham Boathouses. And if you became inspired Norwich Canoe Club will have an information tent with details of how to get involved or you can find more information on their popular Learn to Kayak courses at www.norwichcanoeclub.co.uk
Tim Scott, Race Director at Norwich Canoe Club, said: “This is a rare opportunity to see these top level athletes competing in our City and in such a great setting as the Country Park. It’s been a huge team effort and the Country Park has been fantastic.”
This event is organised jointly by Norwich Canoe Club, Whitlingham Adventure, British Canoeing and the University of East Anglia in a new collaboration. It’s an exciting development for the sport which is working to increase its profile and inspire a new generation out onto the water.
Norwich Canoe Club would like to thank Alan Boswell Group, Yellow Brick Mortgages, CIM, Teletronics, Bluespace, Hadley Taylor who all generously support the Club.