Hi everyone,
As you may have read on the CORA website, Hugh Fisher from the Pemberton Canoe Club presented an option in June to run a selection trial in the Vancouver area in early September. CORA appreciates that Hugh has taken time to put together a proposal to organize an event to accommodate the large number of coastal paddlers interested in trying out for the 2018 World Sprints. Due to a number of concerns, the application for an alternative trials has not been approved. With the limited time before the proposed event and the CORA membership needing to make training and travel arrangements, the CORA Board of Directors recognised that there was not enough time to adequately address these concerns. At a special board meeting July 12 2017 the CORA Board of Directors had a quorum and voted unanimously to maintain the scheduled trials in Calgary on September 30/October 1. As in most sporting associations a formal bid proposal is presented ahead of time and approved by the governing board. Calgary had put in a bid and was awarded the trials at the CORA AGM in late 2016.
If a club or group of paddlers would like to host a trials event in the future, they are invited to submit a proposal during the next cycle (trials in 2019 for 2020 World Sprints). These applications should be submitted for review prior to the 2018 CORA AGM. The CORA Sprint Committee is available to discuss the event requirements for groups looking to submit a proposal.
Moving forward with the 2018 Team Selection;
Please familiarize yourself with the rules for the Elite/Club World Championships that are available on the IVF website so you understand how the event is set up and the eligibility of paddlers that may be paddling in both ELITE and CLUB crew events.
Trial results will be used to help put together CLUB crews for the Worlds. We are still encouraging set CLUB crews to sign up as a pre-determined V6 crews to give you a better opportunity to train together. For those that are not part of a set CLUB crew we will facilitate CLUB crews based on results and your location.
Trials will also be used in the selection of the TEAM CANADA ELITE squads if the CORA Sprint Committee deems that we have at least 6 paddlers adequately skilled to form an ELITE entry. Paddlers are able to paddle for CANADA ELITE as well as their CLUB crew (no more than 3 paddlers from the ELITE V6 crew can be on the same CLUB V6 crew).
All paddlers who have registered an intent to compete will receive and email that requires a reply over the next few days.
Lynda Roberts & Leanne Stanley
c/o CORA Selection Committee