Christoph Bittner, Belgium
The first
big race weekend in Belgium
is a fact. The season started with the Belgian Nationals 5000m at the channel
Kortrijk-Bossuit at the Harelbeekse Kanovereniging nearby Kortrijk. About more than 100 athletes showed
up to fight for the title. The big guns like Laurens Pannecoucke, Wouter
D’Haene and Olivier Cauwenberghs were not present because they had to follow
their own training schedule which didn’t allow them to do a 5 km race. Even the
Be-Gold team (Jonas Saelens, Toon Broekx, Lize Broekx, Wiliam Peters, Jonathan
Delombaerde…) were allowed to do just one race over the whole weekend. The
starting list lost a bit of his glamour but the sub top could show their skills
this weekend.
Be-Gold
team member Jonas Saelens started as the favorite in the K1 5000m. Other big
favorites were Tuur Bettens (KSKZ), Senne Versmissen (TKC) and Vincent Naert
(KSKZ). Over 40 seniors tried their luck to win a medal. During the first 200m
Jonas Saelens took the lead together with a group of ten. The sprint for the
first turn between Saelens, Bettens and Naert ended in a small tragedy for
KSKZ.
Bettens took his turn to sharp and missed the buoy. Naert, who was following him, missed it too and so they had to retake their turn with Jonas Saelens sprinting away. After a solo of 3,5 km Saelens finished first. Second place was for Senne Versmissen and third place for Dries Corryn from Ghent.
Bettens took his turn to sharp and missed the buoy. Naert, who was following him, missed it too and so they had to retake their turn with Jonas Saelens sprinting away. After a solo of 3,5 km Saelens finished first. Second place was for Senne Versmissen and third place for Dries Corryn from Ghent.
The K2 race was overruled by KSKZ. From the 9 boats, 4 of
them were from the KSKZ. Neerpelt, Ghent, Kortrijk and the G&A
team. After a fast start 3 boats were leading the race: KSKZ (Tom Cremers,
Vincent Naert), NWC (Brecht Stalmans, Thomas Beeke) and another boat from KSKZ
(Günther Wolfvelde, Tuur Bettens). After the first turn Cremers and Naert shook
off the two boats and went for it on their own. Still, there was a battle for
the silver medal. After the 4 km solo Naert and Cremers finished with a gap
between the second boat which was Stalmans/Beeke. Third place was for
Wolfvelde/Bettens.
In the
senior race of the ladies Lize Broekx (NWC) was the favorite to win the gold
medal and she fulfilled that role. After a good start she pulled away for a
solo of 5km. Second place was for Delphine Vandevenne (KSKZ). The bronze medal
was for Loes Driesen (KKK).
The weekend
ended with the K4 Men. All the categories, aspirants till veterans, started
together for a 5000 m with just one turn to take. After a fast start two boats
were leading the race. The senior boat of Neerpelt (Broekx, Broekx, Weckx,
Peters) and the first senior boat of Zwevegem (Naert, Cremers, Planckaert,
Bettens) were in the leading position. The K4 of neerpelt had some trouble,
caused by a branch in their rudder so KSKZ took their chances and took off. The
Neerpelt boat caught up with them and took over in the last 400m. The sprint
was won by Neerpelt. A spectacular K4 race closed the weekend and a well-earned
gold medal for the Neerpelt K4.
You may check the full results at this link. Next
Belgian sprint meeting will be the international regatta in Ghent.
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