Central Otago Whitewater paddler Nick Collier has paddled his way into Canoe Slalom NZ history books in Krakow, Poland by picking up a silver medal in the U23 Men's Kayak Cross event.

The event which is to feature at the 2024 Paris Olympics as another prospective medal event had the teams and supporters crowded along the course as the paddlers battled through the head to head rounds.  Collier looked strong in all his appearances and made split second decisions on upstream gate choices that kept him in the top two placings all the way to the finish line.

Willed on by his teammates and coaches who followed Collier down the course, was a sight to behold at the finish line with the entire NZ team on hand to congratulate Nick on his success.  The silver medal is the first for a U23 athlete at an ICF Junior U23 World Championships.

Article added: Tuesday 22 August 2023