Dorney Lake, United Kingdom.
Seven Paddle Centre athletes represented Canada and Kelowna at the 2022 IVF Va’a World Sprint Championships at Dorney Lake in the UK this past month. The top-tier international event spanned 7 days, with 384 different events in age categories from U16 to 75+.
Vaʻa is a word in Samoan, Hawaiian and Tahitian which means ‘boat’, ‘canoe’ or ‘ship’. The smaller vaʻa used for fishing typically have a float, or outrigger, attached to the main hull for stability. The sport evolved over the years, teams from different islands competed against each other and today, paddlers from all over the world come together to race in Va’a.
Melanie Durban won two gold medals in the singles events, in the V1 Women’s 50+ and 60+ age categories. Although this is Durban’s first Va’a World Sprint Championships, her extensive paddling background set her up as a clear favorite leading up to the event. She also joined the Women’s Elite V6 Team, along with seasoned Va’a specialist Leanne Stanley, to claim bronze in the 500m and 4th in the 1500m race distances.
World Champion, Leanne Stanley, held her own amongst the world’s best, finishing 3rd in the V1 Elite Open Women’s category, along with a 1st place in the V1 Women’s 40+ event. She also joined the Club Masters 40+ V12 Crew along with Kelowna’s Tracey Sutton, and earned another Bronze Medal. Stanley has collected 14 medals since her first World Championships in 2008.,
Junior paddlers, Callum Sutton-Macmillan and Tyler Mottershead, had their first taste of international racing. As young athletes they gained experience and insight that will help with their efforts as they look forward to the next World Championships in Hilo, Hawaii, where they are still eligible to compete in the junior category. Callum and Tyler finished in 8th place in the Junior (U19) V6 500m event with their teammates from across Canada.
Other notable achievements:
50+ Women’s V6 500m Club crew – 6th place (Tracey Sutton & Marianne Morgan)
40+ Women’s V6 1000m Club Crew – 7th place (Leanne Stanley)
40+ Women’s V6 500m Club Crew – 10th place (Leanne Stanley)
U16 Men’s V1 500m – 8th place (Tyler Mottershead)
For full results and event information visit www.2022worldsprints.com