Aug 22

Busy week for USA Canoe Kayak

The action didn’t stop when the flame went out at the Closing Ceremony in London. U.S athletes will be competing at three different canoe/kayak events this week.

2012 U.S. Sprint National Championships
Where: Seattle, Washington - Green Lake Small Craft Center
When: Aug. 23-26
Host: Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club
Links:Schedule. LIVE streaming video.

Who: Ryan Dolan (Kailua, Hawaii) (pictured above) begins his quest toward Rio 2016 after missing qualification for London by 0.248 seconds. Tim Hornsby (Atlanta, Ga.), the kayaker who took the one U.S. men's sprint spot in London, will be a spectator and three-time Olympian Carrie Johnson (San Diego, Calif.) is well into her first semester at the UC-Davis graduate veterinary program. The four-year race to replace Johnson starts this weekend.

2012 Freestyle World Cup No. 1
Where: Sparta, Tenn. - Caney Fork
When: Aug. 24-26
Link:World Cup series.

Who: Siblings Dane and Emily Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.) will hope to put on a show in their home state. Dane won four medals at the 2011 World Championships and represented North and South America in a freestyle exhibit during breaks in the slalom racing at the 2012 Olympic Games. Emily moonlighted as a slalom kayaker during the 2012 season, competing for the U.S. in World Cup circuit. The next two Freestyle World Cups are in Hartford, Tenn. and Bryson City, N.C., respectively. This time next year, the U.S. and the Nantahala River will host the 2013 Freestyle World Championships.

2012 Slalom World Cup No. 4
Where: Prague, Czech Republic
When: Aug. 24-26
Link:Results.

Who: 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Coach Rafal Smolen will coach Team USA, including his son and 2016 Olympic hopeful Michal Smolen (Gastonia, N.C.). Michal finished 5th at the U23/Junior World Championships in Wausau, Wis. and 27th at 2012 World Cup No. 2. Long-time Senior National Team members Scott Mann (Woodstock Vt.) and Aaron Mann (Bethesda, Md.) return to the fold. Scott finished 4th among eligible Men’s K1 paddlers at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Aaron returns to the water after serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2012 U23/Junior World Championships and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Athlete Advisory Council.