2015 ICF World Championships Slalom
 
1
2
3
K1M
CZ J. PRSKAVEC
PL M. POLACZYK
US M. SMOLEN
K1W
CZ K. KUDEJOVA
DE R. FUNK
DE M. PFEIFER
C1M
GB D. FLORENCE
SI B. SAVSEK
GB R. WESTLEY
C1W
AU J. FOX
CZ K. HOSKOVA
ES N. VILARRUBLA
C2
DE ANTON/BENZIEN
FR PICCO/BISO
FR KLAUSS/PECHE

Canoe Sprint

Canoe sprint team Poland trains in Montebelo, Portugal

canoe kayak poland women training 2015 portugal sportscene icf toms kryk coach athletes nelo

Source: Glos Wielkopolski 27-01-2015 | Translation: Monika Marczak - This season, the female kayakers want to qualify six spots for the Olympics.  Coach Tomasz Kryk already has a vision for preparations for participating in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The kayakers are usually in the spotlight between May and August, because that's when the most-important events take place; however, this doesn't mean that our team, which is mostly made up of athletes from clubs in Greater Poland, spends the rest of the year relaxing on idyllic beaches. On the contrary, for the past several weeks the team of 11 has been recharging its batteries, and three days ago they made their way to another training camp – this time at Montebelo, Portugal.

'Some might say that the 11-person group is too large, but you can't run training only for the big-name leaders. They must have successors, who will naturally replace their older friends. For us, continuation is extremely important, because we represent the most-medal-rich sport of the last 10 years in Poland', said the female kayaking team's coach Tomasz Kryk, who together with his charges has already won 35 medals at the World and European Championships, including six last season (five in Olympic events).

Marta Walczykiewicz (KTW Kalisz) and her friends have already been to a training camp in Livigno, Italy, and another camp in Jakuszyce. 'After medium-sized mountains came the time for intensity in cross-country skiing and exercises aimed at movement structure that matches kayaking. The camp in Jakuszyce was during 4-18 January', added Kryk. The participants were: Marta Walczykiewicz, Beata Mikołajczyk, Edyta Dzieniszewska, Ewelina Wojnarowska (Warta Poznań), Anna Włosik, Karolina Naja, Joanna Bruska, Aleksandra Janicka, Aleksandra Górna, Anna Puławska, and Anna Godek.

canoe kayak poland women training 2015 portugal sportscene icf toms kryk coach athletes nelo'Winter in the Jizera Mountains didn't disappoint, and the well-prepared tracks allowed us to do all of the cross-country training. On the other hand, in the gym we worked on kayak paddling strength and on maximum strength. We spent a lot of time on general fitness', highlighted the 45-year-old coach from Posnania. During the camp in Jakuszyce, employees of the Institute of Sport, with Prof. Jadwiga Malczewska at the head, conducted dietary consultations and developed tailored programmes for individual athletes. Now the kayaking team is training in Montebelo, Portugal, from where they will take a short break to undergo fitness tests at the Institute of Sport in Warsaw, and three weeks from now will return to Portugal to a different city near Coimbra – Montemor-o-Velho – where a World Cup will be held in May this year. 'This makes sense, because we transport all of the water equipment to Portugal via special road transport. Transporting kayaks and paddles by air would not be cost effective, and in some cases it wouldn't even be possible. That's why, to make things simple, our trips to the camps end in Southern Europe', noted Kryk. Montemor, Portugal, will also be the last stop for the kayakers before next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 'I know what the conditions are like in Brazil during the calendar winter. It's not overly hot, and so I don't think that prolonged acclimatisation is necessary. The time difference will also no longer be too great, because there is only a four-hour difference between Portugal and Brazil. That's why I think that we won't go to that course until just a few days before the race', explained the Poznań coach. According to him, the upcoming season will have two key events – the 1st European Games in Baku and the World Championships in Milan.

'The dates are spread out well, because the season is divided into two distinct parts. We will aim to peak twice. In Milan, we will fight not only for World Championships medals, but also for at least six Olympic spots, admitted Kryk. His task is to not only improve physical form, but also to develop the athletes' awareness. 'I'm not a tyrant, but I do have my own rules. That's why from this year the athletes are not allowed to use mobile phones during meals, but this doesn't mean that I'm cutting them off from the world', ended the team's coach.

The female kayaking team's plans for this season: 25-26 April – national team qualifiers in Wałcz, 1-3 May – European Championships in Račice (the the Czech Republic), May – World Cup in MontemoroVelho and in Duisburg, 6-7 June Polish Championships on Lake Malta, 14-16 June – European Games in Baku, July – camps in Livigno (Italy) and Wałcz, August – camp in Szeged (Hungary), 20-23 August – World Championships in Milan