World Cup gold for Hounslow (From Harrow Times)

Hounslow wins first gold at World Cup

3:37pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Local Sport

Richard Hounslow won gold in the team event at the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Cardiff.

The Harrow-born canoeist was joined by C2 partner David Florence as they reached the final. Flying through the course with control and composure, they laid down a fast and clean run to take the lead and set the bar for the remaining seven boats to beat.

It was an agonising 15 minute wait for Florence and Hounslow as they watched the field come down, and one by one drop in behind them. But the pair finished on top to secure their first gold of their C2 career.

Hounslow said: “To win my first World Cup gold medal is absolutely fantastic particularly in Olympic year and is perfect preparation for us. There are still two more World Cups to go and hopefully we can win a couple more medals.”

Meanwhile, Harrow celebrated bronze medal-winning success at the biggest ever Thames Water London Youth Games Regatta at Docklands on Saturday.

Around 900 young people from 30 boroughs took part in the competition. The borough had strong performances in the kayak sprint with Marlborough First and Middle School pupil Molly Warren winning a bronze medal in the female lightning race. In the male lightning race, William Grenfell, of Norbury School, also won bronze.

Grenfell, 12, said: “I have competed in the regatta twice before and won a bronze medal last year as well. I am happy with my performance today and it was really fun.

“I hadn’t actually done much training before today so the result was good. Getting the medal was the best part of my day.”

The last member of the squad to win bronze was 14-year-old Ruchi Sikka, who made it onto the podium in the junior female cirrus race. These results saw the borough finish seventh overall in the kayak sprint standings.

Team manager Daniel Driskel said: “It is great that we got some good results. We have a very small team with only four of us and they have competed for the last four years in the event and we piece them together.

“They have done really well considering they haven’t had as much training as other teams so they have done so well. I think it is one of our better years competing in the event.”

The borough also had teams competing in the kayak slalom, where they finished 17th, and the sailing, where after a third placed finish in the Pico Mixed class, they finished 19th overall. In the overall Thames Water Regatta, across all events, the borough finished 23rd in the standings. Former competitors at London Youth Games include European kayak gold medallist Hounslow who competed for Harrow.