Posted on: Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Hawai'i kayakers last, but still reach semis

Advertiser Staff and News Services

SCHINIAS, Greece — Weeds, wind and nerves weighed the United States four-woman kayak flatwater team down yesterday as it finished last in its Olympic qualifying race. It was still good enough to move on to tomorrow's semifinals.

Punahou graduate Kathy Colin attributed the team's slow (1:36.9) 500-meter time to "jitters," a "horrendous" wind and milfoil weeds. The weeds grabbed the kayakers' paddles and were hanging on the American boat's rudder after the race.

Colin, the boat's only Olympic veteran, took part of the blame for the weeds. She saw Germany and Hungary call officials over before the race and ignored it.

"Somehow it didn't occur to me what these crews were doing, and it didn't occur to me that we may be dragging something," Colin said. "So with all that ... we had a decent race."

Teammate Lauren Spalding, from Kula, called it a "rough preliminary race ... those ladies are bulls," and figured the weeds slowed the United States down anywhere from half to a full second.

"The important thing is, we worked out some jitters," Spalding said, "and we know what we have to do to make it happen in the semifinals."

Germany won the heat in 1:31.6 and Hungary and China joined the Germans in advancing to the finals. Teams Nos. 4 to 7 advanced to semifinals and only five teams were in the heat.

Today, Colin and Spalding will team for the women's K-2 competition. Spalding can't wait.

"The venue is awesome — except for the weeds," she said. "When you near the finish line you hear the crowds going nuts and it's a real adrenaline pump.

"It's really special for me knowing that my friends and family are up in the stands cheering us on. I can't wait to see them waving the Hawaiian flag for Kathy and I. I'm here on the U.S. team, but in my heart I'm representing Hawai'i."

Kailua's Andy Bussey also qualified for the semifinals, with Jeffrey Smoke, in the 1,000 meters. Bussey said their Olympic debut left much to be desired.

"We had a hard time getting out of the blocks. The wind was blowing us around, and we never hit the peak speed," said Bussey, a 1997 Punahou graduate.

Bussey, 25, and Smoke, 26, have been together six weeks, with the preliminary race only their second as a team. This is the first Olympics for both.

"They are the future of kayaking because they're younger," said David Yarborough, executive director of the U.S. Association of Canoe/Kayak. "I have high hopes for them down the road. I see their success happening over the next two years and in Beijing."