Liam Jegou came back to Ireland for the canoe slalom Irish Open and duly topped the rankings in the men’s C1 at the event at the Sluice Weir on the Liffey on Sunday. The Ireland paddler, who is based in Pau in France, has his eye on qualifying his boat for the Olympics come the World Championships in La Seu D’Urgell in Spain this September.
Sam Curtis and Aisling Conlan were the top men’s and women’s K1 paddlers. Along with Jegou, they will go into the Ireland selection event at La Seu next month with hopes of making the Ireland team for the season.
Jegou, who won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2014, has come back from a hip injury which necessitated an operation in 2017. He finished 24th at last year’s senior World Championships – it placed him ninth in terms of nations, which would qualify the boat if reproduced this season.
Canoe Slalom Irish Open, Dublin, Sunday
(Selected Results; results on best of two runs)
MEN
K1: Sam Curtis 79.87 seconds. Junior: Adam Vaugh 93.82.
C1: Liam Jegou 81.76
WOMEN
K1: Aisling Conlan 103.20.
