Jenny Egan won gold in the K1 5,000 metres at the canoe sprint World Cup in Portugal. The 30-year-old Ireland paddler came out on top in a long battle with Estefania Fernandez of Spain. Lizzie Broughton of Britain was third.
“It was tough all the way to the finish line,” Egan said of her tussle with Fernandez. Egan won gold in the same event last year at this venue, Montemor-O-Velho. “I like this place!” she said.
The Irish woman, who had come close to qualifying for both the Rio and London Olympic Games had come into this first event of the season after a succession of ear and throat infections through the spring.
In the Olympic-class events at Montemor-O-Velho, she reached the A Final of the K1 200 metres, where she finished ninth, and just missed out on the final of the K1 500.
She will compete in World Cup events in Szeged in Hungary and in Belgrade in Serbia in the next two weekends.
Canoe Sprint World Cup, Montemor-O-Velho, Portugal Day Two (Irish interest)
Women
K1 200 - A Final: 9 J Egan 42.743.
K1 5,000 - Final: 1 Ireland (J Egan) 22 mins 52.8 seconds, 2 Spain (E Fernandez) 22:53.57, 3 Britain (L Broughton) 22:56.98.
