Canadian Canoe Slalom athletes make semi-final runs at Junior and U23 World Championships

LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS, SLOVAKIA – Four Canadian canoe slalom athletes took to the whitewater for semi-final runs today at the ICF Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia.

Cameron Smedley of Dunrobin, ON had a blistering fast semi-final with the fifth fastest overall run time in Under 23 Men’s C1. Two touches added four penalty seconds to his time and he finished twelfth with a score of 111.71. He was just 1.04 seconds off making the top-ten final.


Michael Tayler of Ottawa threw down a clean run to clock 103.03 seconds and finish thirteenth. The 2012 Canadian Olympic Team member was 1.32 seconds away from advancing to the final and is still eligible to compete at Under 23 Worlds for the next two years.

Alexandra McGee of Ottawa also had a thirteen place finish. She posted a score of 165.21 in Women’s U23 C1.

Liam Smedley of Dunrobin, ON finished twenty-third in Junior Men’s C1. An unfortunate miss of the first gate resulted in a fifty second penalty. He managed to continue through to post a competitive run time.

The Canadian team will compete in several team run events over the weekend to finish off the Championships before returning to Canada for National Championships in Kananaskis, AB on August 3 and 4.

Summary of Results (Day 3 - Junior and U23 World Championships):

Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON), Men’s C1 U23 - 12th in semi-final (111.71)
Liam Smedley (Dunrobin, ON), Men’s C1 Junior - 23rd in semi-final (171.52)
Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON), Men’s K1 U23 - 13th in semi-final (103.03)
Alexandra McGee (Ottawa, ON), Women’s C1 U23 - 13th in semi-final (165.21)

Previous Results:

Adrian Cole (Calgary, AB), Men’s K1 U23 - 53rd in heats (118.27)
Florence Maheu (Valleyfield, QC), Women’s K1 U23 - 33rd in heats (126.38)
Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB), Women’s C1 U23 - 24th in heats (152.13)
Jazmyne Denhollander (Chilliwack, BC), Women’s K1 U23 - 34th in heats (126.70)
Kylie Zirk (Saskatoon, SK), Women’s K1 Junior - 42nd in heats (156.42)
Thea Froehlich (Ottawa, ON), Women’s K1 U23 - 36th in heats (127.46)
Veronica Oczkowski (Lundbreck, AB), Women’s K1 Junior - 48th in heats (164.71)
Yannick Laviolette (Valleyfield, QC), Men’s C1 Junior - 50th in heats (138.67)
Zachary Zwannenburg (Cornwall, ON), Men’s C1 Junior - 47th in heats (131.03)
Zachary Zwannenburg (Cornwall, ON), Men’s K1 U23 - 63rd in heats (124.75)

CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport which is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.