The ifs and buts of slalom

The unpredictable sport that is canoe slalom with its ups and downs in mistakes, results and emotions – is there such a thing as the perfect run?

After watching the demo boats for information, staring at the water to understand it’s influence on your boat and getting ‘into the zone’ = a plan you are 100% confident in. Now it’s down to you.

Within in the run things can go wrong…from a touch, to being slightly offline and chasing back, to paddle backs, and to missing a gate. I think I can speak for a lot of athletes in the sport that we spend a lot of time on controlling our emotions and our refocus skills within the fast paced racing. The sport is very much about being adaptive, flexible and skilled – having that plan B in the pocket as a just in case.

Compared to November last year, I went into selection with confidence that I was stronger and faster - with testing results to prove it. Training with a new coach over winter I was pushed hard – many times outside my comfort zone. Alongside this I grew more resilient and picked up new skills in my canoeing and how to deal with different scenarios to the best of my ability.

But it all comes down to putting it together.

For me I was disappointed with the outcome but Happy with my paddling. It left me in the middle ground about how I felt overall. To be honest I’d rather have felt sad or happy not confused!?

If I hadn’t got that touch, I would’ve been…

If I hadn’t made that mistake, I would’ve been..

If I had done that stroke a fraction earlier, I would’ve been..

ALL THE IFS AND BUTS!

Would’ve…could’ve…should’ve???

To put it bluntly, so I don’t hurt my ego too much, I could’ve had two top three results and a 6th in U23 selection. Therefore if you look at splits and pacing I was on it, bar one section! It’s easy when you finish a run to feel like it was a disaster but after getting changed and finding your way to video review you learn that compared to your plan you might just have two small mistakes and actually you finished in a decent place. (Solid run – job done). When the adrenaline is pumping post run it’s easy to go off on one and over evaluate your run.

End of – I sit down with my coach. We both look each other and sigh. I let him speak first “I thought you fought well to the very end.” “Agreed.” Not much was said after that. What can be said, I tried my best but it wasn’t good enough.

This hasn’t demotivated me and I’ve still got next year at U23 Selection. It only fuels the fire inside me to keep pushing through, to do the sport I love and spire to be the best in.