Canoeist hailed as medal prospect

Press, 27 February 1984, Page 8

Canoeist hailed as medal prospect

PA Auckland Paul MacDonald, of North Shore, the star of the twentyseventh national flat water canoeing championships at the week-end, was hailed by officials as a bright medal prospect for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. MacDonald, often shaded by his clubmate, lan Ferguson, and Alan Thompson, of Poverty Bay, was delighted after winning three titles. He pipped Ferguson, a silver medallist at the world championships, in the KI 500 m event yesterday and then teamed with Ferguson to beat the more favoured combination of Thompson (a bronze medal winner at the world event) and Grant Bramwell, also of Poverty Bay, in the K2 1000 m. MacDonald and Ferguson yesterday trounced their rivals in the K2 500 m race. Coaches and officials were beaming at the standard of competition. “The guys have been just brilliant,” said Ben Hutchins, one of the Olympic coaches. “We are used to seeing one guy — Thompson or Ferguson — winning by five seconds and the rest finishing in a bunch, but it is just not that way any more. The over-all standard now is so high that we don’t know who is going to win any more.” Results.— MEN TKI 1000 m: M. May, 5:21, 1;

T. Dooney, 2; R. May 3. KI 1000 m: A. Thompson, 3:46.2, 1; G. Bramwell, 2; P. MacDonald, 3. K2 500 m: Ferguson/MacDonald, 1:34, 1; Thompson/Bramwell, 2; Chris Spelius/Chris Wallace, 3. K2 10,000 m: B. Lauder/P. Dignan, 46:31, 1; T. Dooney/B. Fletcher, 2; M. Ussher/G. Maire, 3. KI 5000 m: E. Murphy, 27:12, 1; A. Olsen, 2. TKI 500 m: R. Gavin, 2:28.65, 1; J. Cook, 2:29.8, 2; G. Maire, 2:31.3. KI 10,000 m: L. Grau, 47:02, 1; A. Martin, 2. TKI 10,000 m: M. May, 57:12, 1; R. Hunger, 2; J. Cook, 3. KI 500 m: P. MacDonald, 1:41.4, 1; I. Ferguson, 2; A. Thompson, 3. K2 1000 m: MacDonald/Ferguson, 3:23.4, 1; Thompson/Bramwell, 2; Grau/ Spelius, 3. WOMEN Kl 1000 m: S. Donaldson, 5:30.5, 1; D. Murray, 2; J. D’Aubney, 3. TKI 1000 m: Donaldson, 5:49, 1; Murray, 2; M. McLaren, 3. K2 500 m: Donaldson/Murray, 2:21.5, 1; Daubney/D. Trevett, 2; McLaren/Shuttleworth, 3. Kl 500 m: S. Donaldson, 33:20, 1: Murray, 2. Kl 500 m: Donaldson 2:34.3. 1; Murray 2. TKI 500 m: Daubnev, 2:52.6, 1; McLaren, 2. K2 1000 m: Donaldson/Murray, 4:57.6, 1; Trevett/Daubney, 2; McLaren/M. De Jong. 3.