Year Ten Pupil Excels at European Kayak Competition

Year Ten pupil, Tom McElhannan, recently travelled to Belgium to represent Worcester Canoe Club at the Sobeka Flanders Cup. This prestigious international regatta, held annually in Zwevegem, attracts leading paddlers from across Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, and the UK.

The sprint racing format featured events ranging from 200m to 1,000m in both single kayaks and crew boats of two or four paddlers. With a different structure to UK competitions, Tom faced a demanding series of heats and semi-finals against strong international opposition. He rose to the challenge, securing a place in the finals in all of his races across the weekend. In addition, Tom teamed up with members of a Belgian club to compete in crew boats, achieving excellent results in both the K2 and K4 finals.

Reflecting on the weekend of racing, Tom said, “This was a great experience for my first international regatta and I particularly enjoyed racing against people from different countries and also paddling with my new team mate from Kortrijke Canoe Club. I was really happy with my results and hope to return next year to race again. I joined Worcester Canoe Club three years ago and, thanks to my coaches, I have progressed very quickly. I am continuing to improve both my technique and race skills. I currently train six times a week both at Worcester and Fladbury and really enjoy being on the river.”

Tom has enjoyed an excellent season, winning several regional races for Worcester Canoe Club and rapidly progressing through the national racing divisions. He also competed at the UK National Championships in both marathon and sprint disciplines, with his standout achievement being victory in the National Under 14 K4 500m Championship at the National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, earlier this summer.

His next challenge will be the final of the UK Hasler Series, hosted in Worcester this October. This event will see Tom line up against the top paddlers in his division, both junior and adult, over an eight-mile course on the River Severn. The regatta will attract over 600 paddlers across nine divisions, each having qualified through results achieved during the season.

We wish Tom the best of luck as he takes on this exciting challenge and we look forward to following his continued success in both national and international competitions.