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Photo: Greg Hunter

Gold for Groeneveld at Slalom Pan American Championships

OTTAWA, ON – Jessica Groeneveld of Innisfail, AB took the gold medal in women’s K1 to lead the Canadian team to the most overall points at the 2013 Pan American Canoe Slalom Championships in Union de Tula, Mexico on Sunday. Groeneveld won the women’s K1 event by a margin of over two seconds. Brazil’s Ana Satila, who won the event last year to clench a quota spot for the London 2012 Olympic Games, took silver. 

A slew of Canadian paddlers followed the women’s K1 rankings. Jazmyne Denhollander of Chilliwack, BC had the third fastest time but the bronze went to Argentina as only one competitor per nation is eligible to medal. Florence Maheu of Valleyfield, QC had the fourth fastest time and Thea Froehlich of Ottawa had the fifth fastest. Calgary’s Haley Daniels finished in eighth position and Ottawa’s Kathleen Tayler got bumped was disqualified in the semi-finals for an error in boat weight. Three entries per country are permitted to contend at the Pan American Championships so only Groeneveld, Denhollander and Froehlich’s results counted as official while the others raced for international ranking. 

The good news did not stop with Groeneveld winning gold. She doubled up in events to also take silver in women’s C1. Daniels scored the third fastest time while Tayler finished in fifth position. The inclusion of women’s C1 in the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and the potential for the event to make its debut on the Olympic programme has lead several kayak athletes to give the single-bladed event more attention. 

Cameron Smedley of Dunrobin, ON settled for bronze in men’s C1 after a disputed penalty cost him the win in a tight race won by USA’s Zachary Lokken. Argentina’s Sebastian Rossi finished 1.41 seconds back to take silver while Smedley was a narrow 1.48 seconds from the winner. Other Canadians finishes in the event included Zachary Zwanenburg of Cornwall, ON, ranking sixth and Ryley Penner of Lundbreck, AB just missing the final with an eleventh place result. 

Smedley also teamed up with his coach Michal Staniszewski in the men’s C2 to capture a silver medal. Smedley’s race with Staniszewski on Sunday was purely one for experience. Staniszewski won an Olympic silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Games as part of the Polish team. Staniszewski retired from his competitive career after Sydney and moved to Canada to coach. 

In men’s K1, 2012 Olympian Michael Tayler of Ottawa finished in fifth position. Teammate Ryler Penner successfully made it to the final in K1 and posted the ninth fastest time. Adrian Cole of Calgary was just out of the final with an eleventh place finish and Zachary Zwanenburg ranked seventeenth in semi-finals. 

The team will head back to Canada to prepare for National Team Trials in Minden, ON on May 25 and 26 before returning to international competition. Results from the trials will determine Canada’s team for the 2013 World Cup Tour and World Championships. 

Full results - panamchamps.com/ 

Ian Miller 
Communications and Marketing Officer | Agent de communications et de marketing 
CanoeKayak Canada | www.canoekayak.ca 
613.260.1818 x2209 | 613.314.1352 (cell) | imiller@canoekayak.ca