Newcastle paddler Michael Booth claims first ICF stand up paddling men’s world title
A Newcastle waterman has written his name into the record books with a special world title.
The Newcastle News
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He’s a consumate waterman and Australia’s latest world champion.
Ocean racer and sprint canoeist Michael Booth has now added the inaugural ICF stand up paddling men’s world title to his list of success after surviving torrid conditions in China.
At the venue which hosted the 2008 Olympic sailing, Booth claimed gold on the opening day of the event.
“It’s awesome to be able to call yourself a world champion and to be the first ever ICF world champion is pretty special. No-one will be able to take that away from me,” the Newcastle paddler said.
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“I really suit this sport. I’ve had lots of success and I think my years of experience doing kayaking and doing the ocean racing and doing surf lifesaving when I was younger, it all adds up, all those kilometres, all those races.
“At the end of the day I love paddling, I’m a paddler and whatever you put in my hand, I’ll give it my best. I’m very happy to be doing well at this one.”
Booth overcome strong wind, choppy ocean conditions and delayed start and a course change due to the conditions on the Quingdao racetrack to beat Hungarian brothers Bruno and Danile Hasulyo for the men’s long distance world title.
“I had a really good race,’’ he said.
“Daniel and Bruno raced absolutely fantastic and I had to throw my dice right at the end there and I just got away.
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“But I knew if I made just one mistake, Bruno would have got me.
“I nearly had a fall right there at the end and that would have been it. You want these moments, you want to win, and I’m just really happy to have got it done on the day.”