Success for Scottish Athletes at ICF World Cup 2
The women's K4 crew achieved a top-seven finish on their first international outing on day two of the ICF World Cup 2 in Poznan, Poland.
After a successful day one, the newly formed crew of Emily Lewis (Worcester) / Debs Kerr (Anker Valley) / Kristina Armstrong (Scottish Performance Squad) / Lucy Lee-Smith (Norwich) lined up in the K4 500m A Final for the first time.
It was a strong run performance from the quad as they powered to seventh place in 1:35.46, just two seconds off a podium place.
Delighted with their first international competition as a crew, Debs said:
“We had a really good race. It's a great place to start. We've been in the boat a handful of times and we've gelled well together and really quickly. The boat felt solid. I was focusing on our race. Emily set a good rhythm and the girls in the back kept us pushing.
Emily added: “We learnt from each race this week. We took this as an opportunity to race without pressure and enjoy it.
Kristina said: “It's my first K4 internationally. I've learnt a lot from this crew. Really enjoying being part of it and the final was definitely our best race so far.
Lucy concluded: “Debs and Emily have a lot of K4 experience, which has really paid off for me and Kristina. Every time we get in the boat, it feels better and better, and we've got something good we can build on here.”
On Saturday, Paralympic champions Laura Sugar and Charlotte Henshaw claimed golds on a day which saw four Brits win medals at ICF World Cup 2 in Poznan.
Sugar triumphed in the women's KL3 final, with Hope Gordon claiming bronze, while Henshaw eased to victory in the women's KL2. Stuart Wood started the medal rush with his bronze in the men's VL3.
Sugar, who won gold in both Tokyo and Paris, stopped the clock in 47.08, putting her just over half a second clear of Germany's Felicia Laberer. Gordon's time of 48.34 was enough for the final spot on the podium.
Sugar said: “It was really good, a lot better than the heat on Thursday. I love racing, it was a great race with lots of girls in the mix, and it's nice to come away with both of us on the podium.”
Gordon added: “Getting on any podium is always a big result for me, it's getting harder and harder to keep up with those girls. I haven't been back to full-time training for too long so it's an exciting way to start the season.”
On Sunday, it was gold for Hope Gordon in the women's VL3. Gordon delivered a gutsy race after a delay to the start and took the win in a time of 58.49, with Henshaw 0.77 seconds back in silver.
Gordon said: “There was a little bit of extra pressure with the mess-up at the start, just to add to the excitement.
“It was a good race, we both know we are not quite at our very best right now, but it is nice to know that with what we have done, we are still very much up there. It's exciting.”
It means both Gordon and Henshaw leave Poznan with two medals each after claiming bronze and gold respectively, on Saturday.
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