According to the International Canoe Federation, The People’s Republic of China has been stepping up its efforts to develop kayak cross with the assistance of a former New Zealand paddler. With kayak cross making its debut at the Olympic Games in Paris, China has placed emphasis on the development of the event, and New Zealand’s Mike Dawson was brought in last November to help launch the country’s first kayak cross program. Watch his interview on YouTube below.
Dawson was a top performer in kayak cross during his career, winning Bronze when it first appeared at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2017 before claiming more medals on the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup circuit. “The Chinese team approached me as they were looking to develop their kayak cross program,” Dawson told the ICF. “Kayak cross is the new Olympic event in Paris and they knew that they had a big opportunity to get another Olympic quota in Prague so they reached out and we started a kayak cross program.”
“It’s a new sport and they have always focused on Canoe Slalom in the traditional sense but given it is in the Olympics, he told the ICF. “They wanted to ramp up their efforts so we started to work with a big group of athletes and teach them the skills required for kayak cross and some of the tactics, designing training sessions and just helping them improve on the water.”
Photo and quotes courtesy of ICF