BUSA Canoe Slalom Championships 2007

The 2007 British University Sports Association (BUSA) Championships for Canoe Slalom took place at Tees White Water Centre on 10th/11th February.

The event attracted a large number of entries from universities across the country. Stafford and Stone Canoe Club paddlers Lizzie Neave, Robin Vasey and Peter Willett were representing Loughborough University and Hannah Bailey was competing for Nottingham University.

In the Women’s Kayak category Lizzie was the defending champion. Having represented Great Britain last year at Senior and under-23 level, Lizzie was the race favourite and she paddled strongly to claim the title again with more than a 3 second margin over former Great Britain paddler Heather Corrie, also representing Loughborough, with Hannah Bailey, a former GB Junior Paddler, a close 3rd.

In the Men’s Kayak event Robin Vasey narrowly missed out on a medal in 4th place. Peter Willett couldn’t match the pace of the top paddlers but still came in a creditable 11th. Vasey also turned out in the Canadian categories but was destined not to gain a medal taking 4th place in the C1 race and in C2, partnered by Willett, he took another 4th.

These and other Stafford and Stone paddlers are now looking forward to the 2007 Canoe Slalom season, which gets under way in March although Lizzie also has an exciting training camp in Brazil to look forward to before her first important races of the season. Brazil will be hosting this year’s World Championships in September and Lizzie will be challenging for a place in the Team with the all important selection races scheduled for the end of April and early May.