Guy Dresser | Royal Canoe Club - Top Kiwi paddler Darryl Fitzgerald is targeting the K1 in next year’s sprint season. The 22 year old, who burst on to the Olympic scene with partner Steve Ferguson, hopes to have a go in singles next year after a strong showing at a domestic regatta in New Zealand this weekend.

Fitzgerald and Ferguson were 7th in the men’s K2 1,000m final in London, just over 2 seconds slower than the winner which was pretty close – but at this level margins can be tiny.

With Ferguson taking some time out of sprint canoeing to focus on surf lifesaving and spending a bit more time with his family, Fitzgerald sees K1 as the logical next step.

He told the Bay of Plenty Times in New Zealand: “I’m giving the K1 a go, it’s been really great this weekend. I’m winning the spots; hopefully the selections are taken care of.”

Meanwhile, top New Zealand kayaker Ben Fouhy, who was training at the Royal Canoe Club in the run-up to London and finished sixth in the Olympic 1,000m final, was also believed to be racing at the weekend but results aren’t yet available online so we’re not sure how he did.

Political machinations
Once he’d finished racing in London, Fouhy had a side-swipe at New Zealand kayaking authorities – he told the Stuff.co.nz website in August that he was disillusioned and felt it had been an uphill battle to qualify for the Games.

In another development, the chief executive of New Zealand Canoe Racing, Paula Kearns, resigned in October. She left after three years in the job. Chairman of Canoe Racing New Zealand said that under her leadership the organisation had achieved numerous significant milestones.