Britain’s men’s C1 Slalom World Champion David Florence and Richard Hounslow have provisionally booked their places on the team for next summer’s Rio Olympic Games following the opening day of three at the Olympics Selection Trials in Lee Valley White Water Centre today.
Florence, who had a head start in both classes after a successful World Championships, won the C1M competition this morning before following up this afternoon by winning the C2 with Hounslow.
The winners of the Olympic selection trials will be confirmed by the British Canoeing International Panel and nominated to the British Olympic Association for ratification and selection to Team GB, which will be announced on Wednesday 4 November
The day had not started well for twice Olympic silver medallist Florence who rolled his boat in the first heat of the C1 and missed two gates.
But he made up for it on heat two. Despite picking up a two second penalty, his time of 97.51 was 0.89 seconds faster than Ryan Westley who had posted the quickest time, 98.40, in the opening heat.
Florence was quick to pay tribute to Westley, bronze medallist at last month’s World Championships at the same Lee Valley venue.
“There are some mixed emotions for me because I shared the podium with Ryan who was third at the World Championships,” he said.
“I know if that had been me I would have been absolutely gutted and think that I deserved to be at the Olympics, and I do think Ryan deserves to be at the Olympics as well.
“Before the start of the weekend I knew that of course I wanted to put down a flyer in round one and that would be it over. But I also knew that it might not be the case, it might have come down to the sixth run of the weekend and I had to be ready to that.”
Florence then teamed up with Hounslow, the Londoner he won the silver medal with at the 2014 Games. At 107.53 seconds their first of two runs this afternoon stood as the fastest of the day.
Rhys Davis and Matt Lister came closest, some 0.79 seconds behind. In finishing third C2 Olympic Champion, Etienne Stott and new partner Mark Proctor’s dreams of competing at the Rio Games are effectively over.
“We put in a pretty solid first run, and I guess before we started that second run we provisionally knew that we had the lead but we wanted to go better,” said Hounslow.
“We have a plan and we wanted to execute that plan as well as we can. We just came a little bit unstuck at the bottom but it was job done, so we are relieved now.”
Florence added: “So much of our sport is about going to the Olympics and chasing Olympic medals, but you’ve got to get there.
“This is always a really tough race and it’s massively pleasing and to have got the job done on day one.
“I’ve been so desperate to go to Rio and I’ve thought so much about it. So to finally know we are going there is a huge relief and I’m looking forward to it.”
In the K1M Huw Swetnam took maximum 30 points from the first day of selections, his second heat time today of 94.97 just 0.10 seconds faster than Tom Brady. Joe Clarke, Britain’s most consistent performer in the K1M over the past two seasons and fastest in heat one, took third place overall today.
“That’s the best result I could have had but to go to the Olympics you’re probably looking at two wins so certainly nothing is in the bag,” said Swetnam.
“I was certainly hoping to do well today but not my expecting it because I’ve struggled on the first day at selection a few times. So it’s nice to win today.”
London Olympian Lizzie Neave won the opening day of the K1W competition ahead of Fiona Pennie and Kimberley Woods.
The trials are also being used to select the Great Britain senior team for the 2016 European Championships and the ICF World Cup Series, based on the top three finishers in each of the four Olympic classes plus women’s Canoe Single (C1W).
In the non-Olympic C1W Eilidh Gibson has qualified for next year’s British senior team after being fastest in both races today. The young Scot picked up 30 points from the recent World Championships and added a further 30 today.
“I’m just really pleased I’m in the senior team for next year so the pressure is off,” said Gibson.
“I hadn’t planned for a result today, I just wanted to do a really good run and I did. My first run was really good and my second had bits here and there but I still felt I was paddling fairly well.
“I’m going to race the next two days because all race experience is good and it means I can relax and have fun racing with no nerves.”
Gibson’s place in the team means that Jasmine Royle, Mallory Franklin and Kimberley Woods – second, third and fourth finisher today - for the last two C1W spots in next year’s team.
