Canoe slalom national titles decided on Buller rapids

Story by: Josh Reich - The Nelson Mail - Photo by: Barry Whitnall - Shuttersport

There are two new champions in the K1 class following a day of exciting action at the Canoe Slalom New Zealand nationals on the O'Sullivans rapid on the Buller River on Sunday.

The senior titles went to Malcolm Gibson and Jessica Bailey in men's and women's respectively. It was the first time both had won the national titles.

The C1 men's title went to Shaun Higgins, C1 women's title to Kelly Travers, while Ben Gibb and Cole O'Connor Stratton took the C2 title.

Of the Nelson paddlers, top results went to Tommy McDowell and Robert Hervey.

McDowell was fourth overall and the first New Zealander in the men's under-16 C1 category, while he was third overall and first Kiwi in the men's under-16 K1 class as well. Hervey was fifth overall in K1 men's under-18. In the teams K1 competition, Hervey teamed up with Nick Pascoe and Jack Cumming for second spot, while McDowell, Blake Hornblow, and Andre Sperling were third.

The nationals rounded off a week of paddling that saw more than 100 secondary school competitors take part in their national champs, before many of them tested themselves against seniors later in the week.