Races

Slovenians going South

By Nina JelencFebruary 10, 2010

While Slovenia is being covered in snow, best Slovenian paddlers are on their way to warmer places, where they will have better conditions for their final preparations for season 2010. Members of Slovenian Slalom team will work on their form and prepare for the most important event of the year – World Championships in Tacen – in Australia and in Athens.

Slalom World Champion Peter Kauzer decided not to fly to Australia. Although most of top paddlers are preparing there right now, he decided to stay in Europe and train at Olympic course in Athens. “I am already a member of slalom team, so I do not have to prepare for selection races. If I went to Australia, I would have lost a day and a half just for a trip, then there is also time difference and it would last five days for me to get into normal training procedure,” Peter Kauzer listed his reasons for staying in Europe. This means he will not participate at annual Penrith race, where he always ranked high. However, Peter says that January and February races are not so important, since he gets very fast into the race rhythm. Besides he wants to do as more training as possible in Tacen: “My season’s peak will be in September. I scheduled my trainings differently this time, so going to Australia does not seem reasonable to me. If weather in Ljubljana will hold, I would rather train in Tacen and run the course multiple times while preparing for World Championships.”

“My season’s peak will be in September. I scheduled my trainings differently this time, so going to Australia does not seem reasonable to me,“ Kauzer said.

While Kauzer will train in Greece, some Slovenian paddlers will participate at Oceania Open (19.-21. 2.). Sašo Taljat, Luka Božič, Dejan Stevanovič, Jure Meglič, Nina Mozetič, Urša Kragelj, Gregor Brovinsky, Anže Berčič, Jernej Zupan, Martin Albreht and Dejan Kralj will be preparing in the land Down Under with assistance of two former top Slovenian kayakers Andrej Nolimal and Miha Terdič. Best Slovenian canadian double Luka Božič and Sašo Taljat will mostly depend on themselves, while their coach will be in Croatia together with flatwater team. “In Australia we will have to take care of ourselves. Dejan Testen remains our coach, he writes our programme and takes care of our tactical training. Raising the endurance level is left to us, because he works with flatwater racers as well. Besides it is useful for us in a way, that he is not around all the time,” said Sašo Taljat. Since Luka Božič is experiencing health problems (he was in a hospital), the first trainings will be adapted to his capabilities.

Talkative Nina Mozetič is looking forward to trainings in Australia. She successfully completed her study obligations, so she can rule out one stress: “I was wavering between studies and trainings all the time, so I was not able to perform 100 percent at anything I have done. Now I will be able to focus completely to trainings.” Even bigger impulsion should be new equipment. She changed both – her boat (from now on she will compete in ‘Kapsl’, constructed by Peter Kauzer) and her paddle. “This season there will not be any more excuses that my equipment is bad,” she added.

The rest of the team will join Peter Kauzer in Athens. Janoš Peterlin, Simon Artelj, Benjamin Savšek, Jure Lenarčič, Simon Hočevar, Blaž Cof, Nejc Kravanja, brothers Janežič, Luka Slapšak, Gašper Babnik, Nina Slapšak and Aleš Jablanšček will work there on their form from February 21st. Eva Terčelj will join senior team after junior training camp, which will also take place in Greece (Nafpaktos).

Former slalom team member Jošt Zakrajšek will train in Skradin, Croatia. In following season he will be focusing on wildwater sprint and flatwater racing, while slalom will be just an addition: “My slalom activity will be more an enjoyment, while my main aim will be improving the technique of flatwater racing. In my first season of flatwater racing, I wish to qualify to national team and gain as much experience as possible.”

Most of the Slovenian paddlers are at still at home, but Dejan Kralj is already in southern hemisphere. He is paddling the rivers of New Zealand. ‘Laky’ is a part of the team that is making movie about extreme kayaking. He will join Slovenian team in Australia.