Canada's Brunet wins gold and silver at paddling World Cup
Last Updated: Monday, June 28, 2004 | 10:00 AM ET
CBC Sports
Brunet, a two-time Olympic silver medallist headed for her fifth Olympic Games in August, placed first in one minute and 52.066 seconds.
It was her first win in the event – the Olympic race for the K-1 women – since her sabbatical season in 2001. Idem, the Olympic champion from Sydney, was second in 1:52.373 and Wagner was third in 1:54.289.
"I didn't really want to send a message anyone, the win was for myself more than anything else," said Brunet, a native of Lac-Beauport, Que.
"It's wonderful to know that I can put together such a strong race. My goal this season was to be as strong as I've ever been in my career and I think I'm very close to that now."
Karen Furneaux of Waverley, N.S., was fourth in 1:54.749.
In the women's K-2 500, Xu Linbei and Zhong Hongyan of China won the gold in 1:45.817 with Brunet and Mylanie Barré of Lac-Beauport second in 1:47.083 and Florica Vulpes and Lidia Talpa of Romania third in 1:47.266.
Eirik Veras Larsen of Norway completed a golden sweep in the K-1's taking the 500-metre race in 1:41.264. World champion Nathan Baggaley of Australia was second in 1:41.397 and Adam Van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., won the bronze in 1:41.627 after leading at the halfway point.
"I was out of energy most of this week but I felt great when I got on the water today," said Van Koeverden, disappointed with his fourth place in the K-1 1,000 on Saturday.
"I had a great start but just ran out of gas. It's interesting to see though that the 1,000-metres is so strong right now that we're all getting better in the 500 as well."
Other Canadian finalists were Furneaux, Kamini Jain of Vancouver, Carrie Lightbound of Mississauga, Ont., and Jillian D'Alessio of Lower Sackville, N.S., fifth in the women's K-4 500; Tamas Buday and Attila Buday of Missisauga, fifth in the C-2 500; Steve Jorens of Aurora, Ont., and Richard Dober Jr., of Trois-Rivieres, Que., eighth in the men's K-2 500 and Steve Giles of Lake Echo, N.S., ninth in the C-1 500.
courtesy Canadian Sport News
