LIST: Australia’s top junior and U23 canoe slalom paddlers for Paris, LA and Brisbane Olympics
Olympic star Jess Fox has been the face of the sport for years. Now there’s a new wave of paddlers out to make a splash at the Paris Olympics and beyond. Our next gen stars of whitewater.
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There’s a former dragon boat paddler, a son of a gun and a teen who grew up watching the worlds best compete at the Olympic slalom venue at Penrith.
There are also brothers and sisters and the cousins of two of Australia’s biggest names in canoe slalom.
Ahead of a series of major regattas in early 2023, two-time world champion Ros Lawrence said the future is looking bright for the sport with a wave of talented youngsters moving through the ranks and ready to race.
The new national pathways lead at Australian Paddling said the success of Jess Fox has helped attract new talent being geared towards the LA and Brisbane Olympics in 2028 and 2032 and even next year’s Paris Olympics.
Lawrence is keen to attract even more youngsters to canoe slalom with Come and Try events, including one in Melbourne for girls in March, as part of a strategy to get more teenagers involved in the sport.
“We are looking for kids who are excited by challenge, love, being in the outdoors, are very driven because they often do their own sessions and have family support around them,” Lawrence said.
“We have hubs at Penrith, Northern NSW between Port Macquarie and Lennox Head and including Grafton, Perth, Melbourne and Hobart.
“These one now are some of our future Olympians in Brisbane and some with the potential for LA and even Paris.
Lawrence has identified some of the rising stars of the sport currently in the system and showing plenty of promise.
MARK CROSBEE, VICTORIA, 19, C1 and K1
The younger cousin of Olympic star Jessica Fox and fast making a name of his own.
At the 2022 ICF Junior World Championships, Crosbee had a breakthrough performance, winning gold in the men’s C1.
He has recently made the move to Penrith for training and this year will compete in the U23 age group for the first time while starting a Bachelor of Engineering at UNSW.
DOMINIC CURTIN, NSW, 18, C1 and K1
This teenager started paddling from a young age and at 16 made his first Australian team in dragon boat racing.
Last year he made the Australian team for the men’s canoe event at the ICF Junior World Championships and finished 20th.
A NSWIS scholarship holder, Dominic has just started studying renewable energy engineering at UNSW.
SEBASTIAN MONTALTO, VICTORIA, 18, K1
Montalto is a canoe slalom paddler racing the kayak boat.
At the 2022 ICF Junior World Championships he finished 17th in this discipline.
The Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder is competing in the U23 age group for the first time this season.
He lives in Northcote and did his HSC at Ivanhoe Grammar last year.
CODIE DAVIDSON, NSW, 16, K1 and C1
A rising star of the sport who has shown big improvement in recent times.
The Penrith youngster, who found the sport at a Come and Try day, has been putting in the hard work over the summer, and is making some rapid improvements.
She has her eyes firmly on representing Australia one day.
Davidson is a Year 11 at Xavier College at Llandilo.
HAMISH DALZIEL, TASMANIA, 19, K1
Dalziel has been paddling for years in Tasmania.
He broke through for a 21st at the ICF Junior World Championships in the men’s kayak last year.
This season he has moved up into the U23 age group for the first time and plentry are expecting him to turn heads.
ALI BERRYMAN, VICTORIA, 17, K1
This young Victorian is another rising star from Balwyn North who attends Siena College.
She is making her return to whitewater racing this season after an injury.
She is a strong contender for success in the U18 kayak event.
DECLAN ELLIS, NSW, C1
Ellis is 19 and hails from Casino in northern NSW
He moved to Sydney to train in the whitewater at Penrith after completing his schooling.
Ellis is studying economics and maths at the University of Sydney and spends time coaching when not studying and training.
GEORGIA O’CALLAGHAN, VICTORIA, 19, K1 and C1
This teenager packs a punch on the water.
She is a fast sprinter who has an impressive work eithic - especially in the gym where she can do six times 15kg chin ups.
DANIEL SHAMIEH, VICTORIA, 21, C1
Another youngster from the Victorian talent pool.
He has also recently relocated to Penrith in NSW’s west for training.
Shamieh, better know as ‘Dolph’, also helps out with club coaching and is a VIS scholarship holder.
GEORGE PANKHURST, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 19, C1
Pankhurst grew up paddling on flat water and rivers in WA but has now relocated to Penrith for regular access to whitewater for training.
Last year he made the men’s canoe semi finals at the 2022 ICF Junior World Championships and is now competing in the U23 age group this season.
CLAIRE CLEMENTS, TASMANIA, 16, K1 and C1
Another Tasmanian canoe slalom athlete who is based in Hobart.
She trains at Broken Bridge and Bradys Lake, which contrary to what the name may suggest is big whitewater, not a lake.
She is a stylish paddler on bigger whitewater and is one to watch in the U18 age group.
JOSH MONTALTO, VICTORIA, 21, K1
A youngster with family ties to the sport with his older brothers Seb also paddling.
He competed at the 2022 U23 World Championships and is a VIS scholarship holder
SARAH CROSBEE, VICTORIA, 16, K1 and C1
Has big family ties in the sport and is coached by her mother Rachel.
Brother Mark Crosbee also races and the pair are cousins of Jessica and Noemie Fox.
Sarah is known for her smooth style in the canoe and spent time with her family in Europe last year training on some of the most famous canoe slalom courses in the world.
BEN ROSS, VICTORIA, 19, C1
Has already had international experience.
This C1 paddler finished 31st at the 2022 U23 World Championships.
He is a VIS scholarship holder
HUNTER FLORISSON, WA, 17, K1 and C1
This schoolboy talent live in Kenwick, Perth, and studies at Providence Christian College.
Like many others paddling is a bit of a family affair.
His two younger sisters are also in the sport.
He is the latest in a long line of WA talent to emerge after with C1 guns Robin Bell, Robin Jefferies and Kynan Maley also all hailing from the state.
ARCHIE NELSON, VIC, 17, C1
Nelson is another youngster hoping to make his mark in eh sport.
He lives in Clifton Hill in Melbourne and is in Year 12 at Northern College of Arts and Technology completing a certificate in building
JAMES STAMP, VICTORIA, 16, K1
A son of a gun.
This teenager’s mother Mia represented in the K1 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Only 16, he is in Year 10 at Koonung Secondary College and lives in Doncaster.
MERLE LONG, NSW AND US, 16, K1
This youngster spends much time at Penrith as her family are based there for part of the year.
He is an American paddler who is changing his racing nationality to Australia.
He plans to attend university in Australia when he finishes school.
EWAN AND ADA MACKIE, NSW, 19 AND 16, C1 AND K1
Ewan works as a raft guide at the Penrith Whitewater stadium and lives at Cranebrook.
He and his sister Ada, 16, are both paddlers.
But Ewan competes in the C1 and Ada in the K1.
MYLES FORD, NSW, 18, C1
A junior paddler with plenty of talent.
Ford races in the C1 class and is starting a Bachelor of Science at UTS
SEVAN BILLAUT, NSW, 13, K1
He is actually too young to race at the Penrith event but has been identified early as a talent.
The minimum age is 15 and he turns 14 this year.
Sevan is the son of national team coach Julien Billaut.
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