Liam Jegou finished 14th of the 30 competitors in the C1 semi-final of the canoe slalom World Cup in Lee Valley, London, today. He missed out on a final place by 2.4 seconds.
The Ireland paddler competed well, negotiating all 25 gates without touching any, and so had no time penalties. He looked disappointed after crossing the finish line: his time of 101.15 seconds was unlikely to be among the top 10 of the 30 who took places in the final.
The time stood up well, however, as many top paddlers could not complete the course without mistakes and the consequent time penalties. Jegou was only pushed out of a top-10 places by the fourth last competitor, Benjamin Savsek of Slovenia.
“I’m a little bit disappointed I did not make it to the final. It was a good run, a little off at one or two points – it wasn’t enough,” Jegou said.
He injured his back before the first run in the heats, but he got extensive physiotherapy treatment and competed in the both runs, qualifying from the second.
He said it was “not ideal preparation”, but it gave him the confidence he can perform even in difficult circumstances.
British competitors finished in three of the top four slots.
The placing augurs well for Jegou’s aim of qualifying the boat for Olympic Games come the World Championships in Spain in September. The top 11 nations will qualify. Ireland, through Jegou, were 10th at Lee Valley.
Next up for Jegou, who is based in Pau in France, is the World Under-23 Championships in July.
Canoe Slalom World Cup, Lee Valley, London (Irish interest)
Men
C1 - Semi-Final (First 10 to Final): 14 Ireland (L Jegou) 101.15 seconds.
