C-Forum

I dont know if any of you know him, but Chris Ennis just made the US Olympic Team in C-1 slalom!!!

You not only have to do well at the Olympic Trials (which Chris won a few weeks ago) but you have to qualify a spot for your country in the Olympics, which Chris did yesterday in the World Cup race -- by placing 14th.

Honestly, I didn't think we had a prayer of qualifying a US C-1, but Chris definitely stepped up and kicked some butt on the world stage.

Way to go Chris!!!

Also: Rebecca Giddens also made the Olympic Team (no big surprise!) in K1-W. Very soon we will see who will make it in K-1, and who (if anyone) will make it in C-2. Very exciting!

USA earns a C1 and K1W start in the 2004 Olympics - Chris Ennis (Bryson City, NC) and Rebecca Giddens (San Diego, CA and Green Bay, WI) will represent the USA in the Whitewater Slalom Olympics in Athens, Greece, August 17-20. For more whitewater racing please visit www.daveyhearn.com

Athens World Cup competition continues to heat up this weekend as 61 countries are working to qualifying for the 2004 Olympic Games in the C2 and K1 classes.

The USA needs to qualify an Olympic C2 position and will look to the talented teams of David Hepp (Cullowhee, NC) & Scott McCleskey (Sylva, NC) AND Joe Jacobi (Copperhill, TN) & Matt Taylor (Atlanta, GA) to provide some great racing. Frank Babcock (Canton, GA) & Jeff Larimer (Marietta, GA) will also challenge.

Whitewater action continues in the K1 class where the USA has earned a K1 start based on Scott Parsons (Bethesda, MD) performance during the 2003 World Championships. Team mates Brett Heyl (Bethesda, MD and White River Junction, VT) and Scott Shipley (Boulder, CO) have the opportunity to earn the USA a second K1 Olympic start as their runs are coupled with Scott Mann's (Bryson City, NC) 2003 Worlds results.

USA has five talented boats qualified for the Olympic Team and six ecstatic athletes going to the show: Matt Taylor & Joe Jacobi C2, Scott Parsons K1, Brett Heyl K1, Rebecca Giddens K1W, and Chris Ennis C1.

The experienced C2 team of Frank Babcock & Jeff Larimer qualified an Olympic start for the USA, but the team of Matt Taylor & Joe Jacobi had the most USA selection points to return to the Whitewater Slalom Olympics, August 17-20.

In the men's kayak class, Scott Parsons placed 5th and Brett Heyl 8th in Athens World Cup Final. Brett's performance gained the USA a second boat. This will be the first Olympic Games for both of these athletes.

For more team selection information, complete Athens whitewater racing results, and whitewater press archives please visit www.daveyhearn.com

wow, incredible! matt taylor and joe jacobi going back to the show! wow, i am so happy for those guys. and the american kayaks did incredibly well, two young guys who have never been (including a Vermont native son!) going to the Olympics, that's just so great! I only wish I was going to be on the shore waving the flag for these guys this summer.

by the way, thanks for posting these results (I think it was the baddest c-boater of us all!)

take care
Alden

My congratulations to all the qualifiers. As a judge at the last two Olympic trials, I got to watch from close on. I missed this years trials but I thank Alden for the insiders scoop. Qualifying a C2 team and extra K boat at the Athens test race shows we still have a solid program here in the USA. And to Brett - Go Vermont!
Pat