Summer 2010 - By David Bain

Monday, September 06, 2010

This summer for me started well before the sun began to shine, in fact my summer started only a few weeks after being selected on to the Great Britain Team for both slalom and wild water.

My first summer training trip was to Leipzig, venue of the 2010 Junior and Under 23 European Championships.  Immediately I liked the course, its continuous rough water always provided interesting courses to paddle. Throughout the week I came off the water smiling, always wishing I could get back on the water for the next session.

 

Training in Leipzig Prior to the race 

The next trip i was part of was to Foix in the French Pyrenees. Foix, unlike Leipzig was a natural river with boulders chucked in. This created a slightly less exciting course, with a flat section at the top gradually becoming more challenging water. For me paddling at Foix was a great experience. When we arrived at Foix it was nearly double the water level we knew we would race at, but all week we enjoyed the challenge of faster moving water knowing that it would make the race level seem easier, even if slightly more tiring.

My next task was getting myself ready physically and psychologically for racing at the Junior World Championships. Arriving at Foix for one of the first sessions I felt slightly nervous, training on the river with other teams made the competition seem very real and competitive in the lead up to the race.

Coming in to the race at Foix I prepared myself better than any race before.  On the start line I knew exactly what I was doing, and knew where each stroke had to be, to make the run go without hold ups. Both my first and second run of qualification were of a reasonable standard. I qualified in to the semi-final in 14^th place. A reasonable result for my first slalom worlds. In the semi I had again a very reasonable run on time, however I picked up a couple of penalties which meant not qualifying and finishing in 16^th place. Still a result to be very proud of.

 

Race run at Foix in the rougher, middle section of the course 

Next I was off to Serbia for the Wild Water Racing Junior European Championships. The Serbian experience started as I walked up the steps to the plain, the sides and wings had aluminium patches bolted on, the interior windows were loose, sometimes missing and immediately they served some sort of chocolate treats, that didn’t taste like chocolate. I continued the flight eating my own food. On arrival to Serbia it felt like the clocks had been moved back. Everything seemed like a 60’s film with grey buildings and cigarette adverts everywhere.

Getting to the river was also interesting, turns out Serbian driving requires lorries to overtake whilst on blind bends. The river was also interesting, with a couple of rapids but mainly flat water.

In the individual classic race I did not perform to a standard I was happy with, however as a team I and the other two racers came an excellent 5^th place, 6 places better than last year’s Worlds.

 

Team Race in Serbia

My last big international race of the year was the Slalom Junior and Under 23 European Championships, I had put a lot of pressure on myself to do well at this race, after not making the final at the worlds, and feeling let down by my performances at Serbia. Unfortunately the trip did not hit off to a good start, my knee swelled up after getting infected in Serbia which put me on crutches and daily trips to the local hospital. Fortunately the swelling went away towards the end of the week, and I was told by the doctors I could race, a great relief for me, as well as my parents.

For this race I learnt on my mistakes and strengths in Foix, so again was very prepared as I entered the qualification race. Although I was not as fast as I would have likes in the qualification I still qualified in a solid 17^th place.

The next day we had team races. For this i was also very excited, we had narrowly missed out on a medal in Foix, and the other team members, Joe and Cirain, were just as determined as I to set things straight.

After a good first run, we qualified in to the final in first place, we all knew this was only the beginning of the race, however it gave us the confidence for the second run. The final run was not as good as our semi final run, yet we were fast enough to gain a silver medal, my fist medal. It was certainly a big boost of confidence to me racing the next day, to already have that medal around my neck.

 

On the podium

The next day I entered the semi-final nervous but excited. I knew I would have to do a mega run to qualify. The focus as I paddled to the start felt great, as well as the smile I had paddling towards the line, knowing that I was fully prepared. I finished in the semi-final after a quick run but I still had time to make up. I entered the final in 9^th place, with the first sub 100 second time of the day.

In the final I was relaxed, this was because I had already achieved so much, everything else was a bonus. I still managed to get a little too excited and took the moves too tight in the final resulting in missing a gate. I finished 10^th, or last in the final however it was still a great result for me.

 

Now my winter training has started, preparing myself for next year, and I’m looking forward to building on my performances of this year in my last season as a junior paddler.

I would like to thank my sponsors for all the support and belief they have provided me, as well as my parents and coaches.