Update on sponsored paddler David Bain

05/05/2010

This winters training has gone really well.  I have progressed rapidly, and am looking forward to racing this summer aboard.
I have been selected to go to Serbia for the European championships as part of the GB Junior Wild Water Race team, where I will be competing in Sprint and classic events against the best down river paddlers in Europe.
Down river selection
During the week leading up to our trip to Scotland more than 3 feet of snow fell across Tayside, making out travel plans somewhat arduous. However we had a trouble free journey on a sunny Friday morning.
When I got to Tully, the river was rather low; the snow had not yet started to melt enough to make a significant rise on river levels.
I travelled up stream to get to the start of the race where the snow built and built. This made for fantastic views and scenery which made racing, a low river, far more enjoyable.
On approach to the main rapid the speed of the water increased to the first drop, after taking a fast line, narrowly missing a hole, I skirted down the left side of a large wave train. At the end of the rapid the last long sprint of 300 meters came, as the sprint ended I concurred the final drop and crossed the line.
I finished as first junior, and showed a very positive time compared to other senior athletes.

Slalom Junior selection
race 1
The first slalom selection was held in Bala in Wales. A very technical course was put up and I was excited knowing that it had some harder moves to test me, and my competitors.
My first run was fantastic. I kept a very fast pace down the upper section and executed all the moves almost perfectly, as I came down the final drop I caught a edge and had to paddle back for a gate, before doing the few final gates.
All the pressure was on run 2:  the nerves were tense at the start line, however I kept my lines from the first run, and picked it up for the final move. After correcting my line and edge position from the first run, the last big move went perfectly, and the run finished off with a positive sprint.
This run put me as second junior in the first race, a fantastic achievement.
Race 2 - Bala
Race two was much more of a physical course, where I knew I would be doing well to be near the top. I had a reasonably quick run, but it was not quick enough to get real counting points.
Race Three - Nottingham 1st May
Now all the pressure was on the final race. I knew I had to race well to get on the team so I was pretty nervous.
The course had a few very technical sections, where I knew if one move went wrong the race would be over.
My first run was fantastic. I sprinted from the very start, performing almost every move without time loss. I finished the run in first place for junior selection, and 5th overall. I knew at this point that I had a good chance of being on the team for the summer, after a slower second run: I waited anxiously as the final juniors crossed the line. I still had the fastest time and gained myself a place on the junior team for the Worlds and Euros. I was ecstatic.

Ten weeks till the worlds
I now will be training very hard in the lead up to the Junior World Championships in Foix and hopefully be fast enough to gain a medal. All I can do is train hard and see what comes.

I would like to thank my coach, Jim Jayes for all the support he has given me this winter and preparation at races as well as Fluid Kayaks, NRS, White Water Active, Eddylines Llangollen and Lloyds TSB

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