|  Luukajones.com | Media | Articles | Bay of Plenty Times  Kayaker closes on Olympics
19.03.2008
By KELLY EXELBY
Luuka Jones credits a chance meeting in Tauranga with a New Zealand sporting great for putting her on the verge of packing her kayak and heading to the Beijing Olympics.
Jones, 19, qualified for the Olympics in the women's K1 whitewater slalom aftera brilliant semifinal finish at the weekend's Oceania championships on Sydney's Penrith course.
Another Tauranga paddler, James Dawson, also qualified in the single seat canoe, although both have still to satisfy the New Zealand Olympic Committee that they'll be competitive in Beijing.
They now have to finish in the top 16 nations at one of the first two World Cup events in Europe in June before they can pack their bags for Beijing.
A stunned Jones said a chance meeting a few weeks ago in Tauranga with Dame Susan Devoy had steeled her heading into the all-or-nothing Oceania event.
"I just kept repeating to myself the advice Dame Susan had given me, which was be realistic in my expectations because it was more than your average competition, with so much at stake, which meant the nerves were a little frazzled," Jones admitted.
"I went to Sydney wanting and expecting to do well but Dame Susan said not to put too much pressure on myself because my main goal is still the 2012 Olympics."
Jones, who spent last year training and racing in Europe, including working at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, England, was the fastest of the three Kiwi K1 women in qualifying at the weekend, reaching the semifinal alongside Nelson rival Tania Perrett.
It came down to a a difference of 0.84s after Jones rolled her kayak nearing the last gate and narrowly avoided being washed down the last drop.
"I nailed it, but it was a close call. I was having a really good run until that last drop when I rolled, which cost me a lot of time.
"There was nothing in it at the end, and my time in that semifinal meant I didn't qualify for the final, but Tania didn't quite nail it either.
"I was pretty disbelieving when I was told I had qualified because I was sure I'd blown it."
With 15 boats going through in the C1 men, Dawson ensured he staked hisclaim for the Olympic berth by makingthe semifinal, 1.7s ahead of Mark Yungnickel.
His brother Michael, top qualifier in the national selection series, was the only K1 Kiwi male to qualify for the final but he missed out to Australian Warwick Draper by 4s.
C2 canoeists Bryden Nicholas and Andrew Robinson missed the top-10 semifinal cut-off and the chance to race the Australians for the Olympic spot.
Jones heads back to Nottingham on April 29, where she will train until the World Cup events in Slovenia and the Czech Republic in June.
The former Otumoetai College student knows she'll have her work cut out if she's to become New Zealand's first Olympic female slalom paddler.
"It's a big ask to get top-16 at a World Cup and far from guaranteed, but everything from here is geared towards that, to show the NZOC it's worth sending me to Beijing.
"To make a compelling case I'm going to have to paddle better than I ever have.
"A year ago it wouldn't have been anywhere near realistic but I've improved so much since last year and it's in my hands now." |
|  | Tauranga paddlers make clean sweep
26.03.2008
Tauranga paddlers have left their rivals trailing in their slipstream at the national whitewater canoe slalom championships on Kawerau's Tarawera River.
Tauranga exponents won all four senior classes and all but three of the junior divisions.
Luuka Jones, who has cleared the first hurdle in her bid to be the first woman paddler to qualify for an Olympic Games, was a clear 18sec ahead of her nearest rival, Otaki's Louise Jull, in the K1 slalom.... |
| | Paddlers fail to keep up with Jones
05.02.2008
WHITEWATER KAYAKING
By KELLY EXELBY
IF - and it's still a fairly substantial if - Tauranga's Luuka Jones qualifies for the Beijing Olympics in the next few months, she'll look back on her decision to take a gap year in the United Kingdom last year as one of the most inspired calls of her life.
Jones, 19, took a big step towards Olympic qualification at the weekend when she stormed through the first selection races for the New Zealand senior team for next month's Oceania championships in Sydney.
Up to three boats will be selected in each class based on the best three of four races over the two-week series.
Tauranga's Michael Dawson, just back from racing in the world series in Australia, cleaned up both men's K1 races on Kawerau's Tarawera River.
Jones won the weekend's first selection race by less than a second from double international Tania Perrett (Nelson), who made the canoe slalom semifinals at the world championships in Brazil last September, narrowly missing qualifying an Olympic spot for New Zealand.
In her second race, the former Otumoetai College student opened out and won by more than 12 seconds.
Jones credits a year spent training and racing in Europe, including working at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, one of the world's leading man-made training facilities, for her big gains in the rapids.
"I really couldn't have been in a better place - it's one of the best training venues in the world and attracts hundreds of top slalom paddlers," said Jones, who was on the physio table getting treatment for a shoulder injury when the Bay of Plenty Times caught up with her yesterday.
"It was a turning point in terms of my kayaking and I've made a massive jump, not only physically but also the knowledge of where I need to be on the water. The benefits are starting to show through in my times."
Jones has a stranglehold on one of the K1 women's spots heading into this weekend's second selection event, which is again on the Tarawera River, having been moved from the national whitewater centre at Mangahao because of the water crisis at the dam-controlled river.
Australia has already qualified boats in C1 and K1 women, meaning there's a place up for grabs at the Oceanias, while the C2 and K1 men will go head-to-head with the Aussies.
But qualifying via the Oceania championships is only the first step on a prolonged journey towards Beijing.
Kayakers then need to meet the New Zealand Olympic Committee's selection criteria of a top-16 nation placing in World Cup events in Slovenia and the Czech Republic in June.
"It's quite an ordeal," said Jones, "but I'm more confident than ever after the weekend."
Dawson is on 20 points, the maximum possible, eight ahead of Napier's Aaron Osborne, with Tauranga's Johann Roozenburg and Jared Meehan close by.
The C2 pair of Bryden Nicholas and Andrew Robinson, also back from their recent summer campaign at Penrith where they made the A final of the world series race, comfortably made the selection criteria, as did James Dawson in C1. |
| |  London calling inspired Luuka30.08.2008
by Jamie Troughton
Luuka Jones has some weighty decisions ahead of her but for the next few weeks she's happy to bask.
The Tauranga Olympian can reflect on the biggest month of her life, a few important lessons in the art of whitewater kayaking and the quest to do it all again.
The 19-year-old former Otumoetai College paddler is now based in Nottingham, England, but will head back to Bay of Plenty in December to train over summer with a clearer idea of what she needs to do to grab a medal in four years' time.
"Being at the Olympics was so inspiring and motivating and I can't wait to get back training," Jones said.
"London 2012 is a massive focus for me - I know what to expect now, so it won't be as overwhelming."
Jones tailed home the 21-strong women's K1 field at the impressive man-made Shunyi course in Beijing, with a 50-point penalty for missing a gate ruining her hopes of qualifying in the top-15 for the semifinals.
Despite an improved time on her second run she finished last on 272.36 points.
As the only women's paddler in the field without experience on the course, Jones admits the sheer volume of water was initially daunting.
"It was a bit hard at first getting used to it, but I had to do it quickly. It didn't really affect my thinking too much - I was positive going into the race - and although the outcome was disappointing, I learnt a lot and know what I need to work on in the next four years."
Part of that preparation will include racing events like February's Wairoa Extreme, the head-to-head duel down the two biggest rapids on Tauranga's Wairoa River.
She'll also pick the brains of experienced local paddlers, although Jones is now part of an extremely select club - only Owen Hughes (Atlanta) and Te Puke's Donald Johnstone (Barcelona) have previously competed in whitewater slalom at Olympic level.
Tauranga brothers Mike (K1) and James (C1) Dawson had a chance at making the Beijing team, while Jared Meehan narrowly missed qualifying for Athens. Jones would love nothing more than to share the limelight in London.
"I hope there will be a strong contingent of New Zealand slalom paddlers competing alongside me.
"The racing itself in Bejing had some really surprising results and some of the big favourites had bad runs and were out of the competition early.
"It was nice to see the guy from Togo take the bronze but it was also quite a shock - it's hard to say if someone like Mike would have done well but he would have been pretty competitive with the other K1 men."
After her race, Jones took advantage of her athlete status to soak up the Olympic spectacle.
She got to know the rest of the team quickly and supported Kiwis at events like the BMX, athletics, flatwater kayaking, track cycling and hockey.
"The environment within the Kiwi team was one of the best parts of the whole experience. Knowing that I had so much support behind me was really beneficial and I felt that there were always people looking out for me.
"Dave Currie and the athlete support team did a wonderful job of creating a friendly and social environment and having a very strong Kiwiana theme. It felt like being back in New Zealand, which was refreshing after being away for so long." | |
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