Richmond Canoe Club junior kayakers celebrated success last weekend (6 June) in a kayak sprint competition – the event was part of the London Youth Games. The games involve teams from each of the 33 London boroughs and include events from archery to volleyball – last weekend the focus was on some of the water sports, this included the 200m kayak sprint event. Competitors were thankful for sunny, warm conditions although a stiff head-wind provided a little extra challenge.
Ten junior athletes from Richmond Canoe Club, representing teams from Richmond Borough and Hounslow Borough, battled it out in a series of heats and finals at the Royal Albert Docks. The RCC paddlers were very excited with their individual performances gaining – three gold (Isabella, Emily and Zoe), two silver (Marlene and Francis) and two bronze (Cosimo and Jojo). These successes contributed to Richmond winning the Team gold medal (repeated 7 out of the last 8 years) and Hounslow the Team bronze (first team medal win since 2009) – both teams were delighted with their achievements.
The Deputy Mayor of Richmond also attended and was clearly impressed by the events of the day and to see so many young people involved in sport and having fun. Elaine Cahill, the borough team manager, was delighted – “there’s a great set of managers, a great set of clubs, participants, parents, they’re all v ery keen and love London Youth Games and keep coming back.”
