By JO SEARLE
HELD over 10 days at Kawana Lake, the Outrigger World Sprints 2016 attracted more than 2000 paddlers from 35 countries (invited), being the largest World Sprints event ever.
Australia was third overall behind the strong New Zealand and Tahiti teams.
Noosa contributed to the Australian tally, achieving three World Records, as well as outright wins and through combining with other clubs to clinch a total of five Gold, three Silver and six Bronze medals.
The World Records were achieved by the Master 70 Men in the final of the V6 500m, with one turn and their heat of the V6 500m straight, and by the Master 50 Women in their V6 500m straight heat.
Noosa’s Ted Baker was part of two World Championship teams along with Mooloolaba paddlers, winning the V12 500m and V6 1000m with turns in the adaptive sprints.
The Noosa Master 60 Men also clinched World Championship in the V12 500m, teaming up with Surfers Paradise.
Hugh Bingham, Noosa and Australia’s oldest competitive paddler was in the Noosa Master 70 Men team that clinched World Championship in the V6 500m with one turn.
Noosa Master 70 Men also won silver in the V6 500m straight.
In addition, Jo Terrans from Noosa got Bronze as part of the combined Central Coast and Pananuma team in the V12 500 Women Master 70 sprint.
Rose Edyvean is World Champion for the V1 500m in a time of 2:50.07, in a strongly contested final that saw all eight paddlers separated by just over eight seconds.
Congratulations also to Roger Arbuckle, Diane Arbuckle (both Master 70) and Des Mabbott (Master 60) who all contested the finals in V1 500m.
The Noosa Master 60 Men won silver in the finals of both V6 1000m with turns and V6 500m straight. The Noosa Master 60 Women won bronze in their finals for these same race distances.
The Noosa Master 50 Women won three bronze medals, firstly through teaming up with Outrigger Australia in the V12 500m, then in the V6 1000m with turns and V6 500m straight.
In the Master 40 Men and Women, Noosa teams competed in the strongly contested events, making it through heats and repechages and into semi-finals, while paddling some of their fastest times.
Overall, Noosa paddlers achieved extremely well in this strong international event and they’re stoked with the outcomes.
In the week following the World Sprints, focus turned to distance paddling, with the National Marathon titles held last weekend at Mooloolaba. Again Noosa paddlers showed their prowess, taking Gold in the 10km short course Platinum Master Men and Golden Master Women divisions, as well as Silver for the Senior Master Men and Bronze for the Senior Master Mixed team. Noosa’s Ted Baker joined with Mooloolaba paddlers to contest the Adaptive Men’s division, winning Gold and coming 13th overall in the large field. This was a mass start race with 57 canoes hitting off from the beach in an action- packed shuffle for lead positions.
In the 18km Women’s long course, Noosa Master Women clinched Gold and in the Men’s 22km long course, the Golden Master Men (1) also won Gold with the Golden Master Men (2) taking Bronze.
