(Tokyo) Les Canadiens ont connu une première journée quelque peu surprenante en canoë-kayak aux Jeux olympiques de Tokyo, alors que pas moins de trois bateaux des cinq inscrits se sont qualifiés pour les demi-finales e-finales Sea.
Quebecer Adrien Langlois and partner Michelle Russell reached Tuesday’s races in the K1 200m, a “secondary” race for them.
“The priority was the K4 500m. The K1 200m is a treat for us,” the 28-year-old Kayaker from Lac-Beauport said on Monday. It was a nice surprise today. We trained for this race, but nothing more. I am very happy .”
“It’s all a bonus right now,” confirmed Russell, of Val River, Nova Scotia. It has been a long time since we participated in the competitions, and I thought to myself that it is better to gain all the experience possible. ”
Langlois won the quarter-finals with a time of 41,728 seconds. Russell delivered a frantic race as he finished four kayaks almost nose-to-nose.
“I’m glad I ended up on the safe side of the picture,” she said. I had no idea where I was during the race. When we crossed the finish line, Emily Lewis (British) and I were looking at each other without knowing what was going on.
“I felt like I was done with the lead group. I looked at the table where we see the boating rating. I saw (British) Deborah Kerr, and then we waited and waited. When my name finally came up, I didn’t want to say it again, but I shouted a bad word!”
Langlois led the first part of his qualifying wave after a great start, but too fast to keep it over 200 metres.
“I was so excited. I’m a little bit like this: I’m a runner at my heart and I just have to put the ‘play key’ on and it starts! I’ve learned in the last few years to control myself, that’s what I did in the quarter-finals,” Langlois explained, 16 years oldNS to Rio de Janeiro.
The two women were particularly happy that they removed the rust so quickly, that they – like the rest of the Canadians registered elsewhere – were in their first international competition since the World Championships in September 2019.
“I compare it to removing the bandage. The first race, you’re a little feverish and uncertain. Langlois admitted that my stress level was high. That’s fine. He showed me what to work on. It was a rehearsal for the quarter-finals.”
“There was rust, and I’m not embarrassed to say it. I was nervous too. By my side was the two-time Olympic champion and world champion (New Zealand Lisa Carrington): It was a good wake-up call! I’m happy with the improvement between qualifying and the quarter-finals.”
The other qualifying boat is the C2 1000m by Ontarian Roland Varga and his Nova Scotia teammate Conor Fitzpatrick. They advanced to the semi-finals by finishing third in the quarter-finals, the latter of which gave them access to Tuesday’s races. They covered the distance in three minutes, 50768 seconds (3:50768).
However, Simon McTavish, Alana Bray-Lugged and Madeleine Schmidt came up short in Ontario.
In the K1 1000m, McTavish scored 3:52,467, putting him in fourth and preventing him from continuing the adventure.
In the K2500 metres, Brae Lougheed and Schmidt were unable to qualify for the semi-finals by finishing fifth in their warm-up with a score of 1:51,862. Only the first four boats qualified for the semi-finals.
Emily Thompson is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and developments that matter to their community. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that reflect the interests, concerns, and everyday experiences of readers across Canada.