GB CANOEING NEWS FLASH
23rd August 2008
Disappointment for GB’s Lucy Wainwright as she misses out of Olympic medals
Great Britain’s Lucy Wainwright suffers disappointment after finishing out of medal position in the Women’s K1 (kayak single) flat water racing 500m final.
Lucy had a hesitant start and despite huge efforts, could not keep up with the leading group and finished in 7th position. By the 250m mark the race was between a handful of athletes including, Ukraine’s Inna Osypenko – Radomska who clinched Gold in a time of 1.50.673, followed by Italy’s Josefa Idem and Germany’s Katrin Wagner – Augustin.
Italy’s experienced fourty three year old Idem was perhaps the favourite following her Silver medal from Athens 2004, Gold medal from Sydney Olympics and Bronze medal from Atlanta, but it was Ukraine’s Osypenko – Radomska, the Bronze medallist from Athens 2004 in the women’s K4 (quadruple), who clinched the Olympic Champion title.
The result will be a bitter disappointment for thirty year old Lucy from Nottingham, who wanted to improve on her 7th position in the Athens Olympics.
Selected results from today’s
Women’s K1 500m
1. Ukraine Inna Osypenko – Radomska 1.50.673
2. Italy Josefa Idem 1.50.677
3. Germany Katrin Wagner – Augustin 1.51.022
7. Great Britain Lucy Wainwright 1.53.102
Athlete websites
Lucy Wainwright www.lucywainwright.com
Ends
For further information please contact:
Matchtight’s Caroline Searl 01225 443998 or the British Canoe Union’s
Chloe Nelson – Lawrie 0845 370 9511 / 07812523409.
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Notes to the editors:
GB Canoeing is the World Class Performance division of the British Canoe Union (BCU). It currently supports 20 UK athletes in their training and competition with the aim to win medals in significant international competitions now and within the next 4 years, particularly at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In the Athens Olympics, Canoeing was one of Team GB’s most successful sports with medals for Ian Wynne (Bronze), Helen Reeves (Bronze) and Campbell Walsh (Silver). In 2008 GB Canoeing’s canoe slalom athlete David Florence won Silver in the Beijing Olympics.
The BCU was set up in 1936 to send a team to the Berlin Olympics and is the lead body for canoeing and kayaking in the UK. In 2000 the BCU federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the Home Nation Associations in Scotland (SCA), Wales (WCA) and Northern Ireland (CANI). In England, Canoe England was set up, on a par with the other National Associations, as a division of the BCU, to support the development of canoeing in England.
The BCU is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for the National Associations; including representing canoeing interests through coaching, competition and campaigning for increased access to Britain’s waterways for paddlers. Today the BCU has a membership of over 60,000, including over 450 affiliated clubs and 145 approved centres. According to the RYA Watersports Survey there are an estimated 1.5 million people take to the water in a canoe each year. The vast majority do so under a watchful eye of one of the 11,000 BCU Qualified coaches or as part of an affiliated organisation. For more information visit: www.bcu.org.uk.