2015 ICF Classic Series ranking results

Tom Brennan (IRL). Foto: www.canoe.ie

The ICF marathon classic series are over for the current year with the dispute of the Shaoxing Canoe Marathon in China (site that will host the 2019 World Marathon Championships), so the global rankings of the World Series have determined the winners. After a quick look, you can already ser thta this formula is not established yet as it was conceived, although it is true that has opened a bit more the taste for travelling & competing (as we recently could check in the French Ardèche Marathon). But as usual, the big problem ...

SAS Hurley Classic 2015 - LIVE Streaming

Follow live from the UK on live streaming videa the SAS Hurley Classic of freestyle canoeing, oldest event in the world in this discipline, since 1989:

Lucas and Boulanger take the win at the Ardèche International Marathon. Kiko Vega claims the singles title

The winners crossing the finish line. Foto: Mikael Anisset for www.midilibre.fr

French crew of Edwin Lucas and Stephane Boulanger won the 31st edition of the International Marathon of the Ardèche, which took place last Saturday November 7th on the 30 km. the villages of Vallon Pont d'Arc and Saint Martin d'Ardèche (FRA). After a few days with fairly high level of water in the river, finally the race was held at a level of about 48 cm. on the Salavas Bridge marker (which means about 140 cubic meters per second).

Surprisingly, the start was given almost 10 minutes before the scheduled time because of the difficulties of the more than 800 competitors at Vallon Pont d'Arc to stay steady on the strong stream.

Olimpic champion Tate Smith, banned for two years after doping confirmation

Tate Smith winning his gold medal in London 2012

Tate Smith, front paddler in the Australian K4 who took gold at the last Olympics in London 2012, has been confirmed for a two-year ban after testing positive on stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, which was detected in a routine test in the summer 2014 during the Australian team training camp in Hungary.

After being confirmed positive in counteranalysis, the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been finally declared, but with retroactive effect and then backdated to the provisional suspension of the athlete, who was on September 8th 2014, so he's gost now one more year to follow. Regarding the respect of the canoeing world, he will probably get some more time.

Stanozolol is the same substance that caused the ban in 2005 of the double olympic silver medalist and world champion in 500 metres Nathan Baggaley, who meant actually his total decline in sports and life itself. He is currently in prison in Australia for a crime against public health, after being found guilty for possession and dealing of methamphetamine.