Paracanoe World Championships

ELEVEN GB paddlers head out to Montemor O Velho, Portugal for the Paracanoe World Championships from August 23-26.

Amongst that strong squad of medal hopefuls will be Paralympic KL2 200m champion Emma Wiggs. Also a sixtime world champ, the 38-year-old will compete across two boats in Portugal - in the KL2 and VL2 classifications. In the second of those classes, Wiggs goes head-to-head with a very familiar friend and rival. Three-time Paralympian Charlotte Henshaw made the switch from the swimming pool to canoeing after the Rio Games, and the 31-year-old has already claimed silver medals at the 2017 and 2018 European Championships.

On her quest for Worlds glory, Henshaw told Agility: “It was the aim this year to get selected for the World Championships. Now that is confirmed it’s about nailing those fine details to make sure we’re in the best shape of the season for the biggest race of the season. “This is obviously still very new to me. I went to the Worlds last year but I just wanted to take it all in and learn - I didn’t really have any performance expectations in mind. “Now I’ve been in the sport a year longer it’s about putting those performances in as we move into the nitty gritty end of the Paralympic cycle. It’s where the pressure starts to ramp up and where I want to start taking those steps towards getting my place on the plane to Tokyo. “I’m feeling excited to go out and race again. I’m still limited in terms of experience of racing against a world field but this is another opportunity to learn and then push on again next year.”

Wiggs clinched her first World gold in Duisburg five years ago but is as passionate as ever about another tilt at world glory. “When you get to this stage you just want to get going,” she remarked. “It’s about trying to make the changes you need but not doing anything too drastic and staying at a really good level. “For the first time we started racing in May and we weren’t expecting to race particularly well because of the time of year. But we delivered some excellent performances, which was a pleasant surprise. “That has meant it has been a bit harder to sustain. Across a year it’s about how you come out of the dips, and I’m really lucky with my coach, Matt. He’s able to explain why there might be a dip and then we rebuild and refocus.

“It’s always challenging but that’s what I love about this sport. It’s about managing those downs and then enjoying the ups. It shouldn’t easy – it should be gruesome at times! “I’ve definitely got better at peaking at the right time each year for the major competitions. It’s different for myself and Charlotte because we need to peak for selection races in this country too. “We’re lucky that we have real depth within our

squad and you’ve got to be in the top two within your classification just to go to the championships. With that challenge comes opportunities to practice your race delivery and do it under real pressure.”

Having swam to a silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics and a bronze in Rio two years ago, Henshaw knows all about top-level competition. Wiggs believes that experience can benefit Henshaw, the GB squad and herself. “Charlotte has done a fantastic job and is an incredible athlete,” she said. “She’s been in Paralympic sport since she was a child and has a huge amount of experience to bring to the squad. She is also a fierce competitor and able to deliver under pressure. “Having that level of competition from a friend means that when we get abroad we know we’re in top shape to take on the rest of the world. “Overall, we couldn’t have had better preparation. The staff at British Canoeing are world class and we’ve got the support of the English Institute of Sport and all the practitioners there. It really is a six-day a week training regime which allows us to be the best paracanoe team in the world. “That’s what we want to go and show people in Portugal at the World Championships.”

Henshaw, meanwhile, is full of admiration for her teammate - and her achievements. “I have huge amounts of respect for Emma and know that she gives everything to be the fastest paddler she can be,” she remarked. “When you’ve got somebody who you have that mutual respect with it breeds a healthy rivalry. That’s when rivalries can really be effective. “Obviously, we both want to be the person who stands on top of the podium but you must have full respect for the person that you’re racing, and I know that she puts everything in on a daily basis. “The most important thing is that the rivalry we have and competitive racing we have is only going to push paracanoeing forward. It’s still a relatively new sport and we want to see it grow and see more people supporting it and understanding it. “We both want paracanoe to grow and strengthen, and hopefully we can play our little part in that.”

Elsewhere in the GB team, Dave Phillipson will make his World Championships debut in the men’s VL3, with Jack Eyers also competing in that classification. Phillipson will also take up a spot in the kayak, joining Paralympic bronze medallist Nick Beighton in the KL2 category. KL1 grand slam holder Jeanette Chippington will be aiming to defend her title and also joins compatriot Wiggs in the VL2. Paralympic bronze medallist Ian Marsden goes in the men’s KL1 in what will be his sixth World Championships. Paralympian Rob Oliver is joined by Jonny Young in the KL3 class, while an exciting prospect for the team comes in the women’s KL3 where newcomers Chelsey Dixon and Kiera Nash both compete.•