It is a discipline in which Britain has never won a gold medal at the Olympic Games previously, but Campbell Walsh is hoping to make it third time lucky this summer at the London 2012 canoe slalom on the water at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Walsh has had an up and down career, starring at the Olympics in 2004 when he clinched a silver medal in Athens, only to be disappointing four years later in Beijing. Despite being the reigning European champion, and having claimed bronze medals at the World Championships in 2006 and 2007, Walsh failed to medal.

He has not won a medal at a major championship since illness ruined his 2010, but Walsh is on the up once more as the London Olympics near. Today at Lee Valley, where the canoe slalom takes place in just under four months' time, Walsh was reserved about his chances of even going to the Games.

"Not many of us [here today] will be going to the Olympics," he told insidethegames. "I am not looking at it as third time lucky, it will be tough – the last couple of years I have not been challenging for golds at major championships.

"I've been pretty good recently and there is always the possibility."

Walsh will be the first canoe slalom athlete to compete at three Olympic Games if he makes it through selection trials next week.


The winner of a silver medal at Athens 2004, former World Cup and European champion Walsh (pictured) will be pushed hard by Richard Hounslow for a spot in the men's K1, while youngster Tom Brady and Huw Swetnam are also harbouring ambitions of a place at the Olympics next weekend.

Three days of racing from next Friday, April 13 will determine which canoe slalom athletes are selected to represent Britain on the water at the Lee Valley White Water Centre at London 2012.  It is expected that the British Olympic Association will then confirm the canoe slalom team on April 25.

Britain will have four canoe slalom boats going to the Games, one in each of the four Olympic classes – women's kayak single (WK1), men's kayak single (MK1), men's canoe single (MC1) and men's canoe double (MC2).

Fiona Pennie, who competed in Beijing four years ago, may have a slight advantage over Lizzie Neave, Laura Blakeman and Louise Donington in the battle for the place on offer in the women's K1. In the men's C1, David Florence, who won silver in 2008, is the favourite to qualify ahead of Hounslow, who came fourth at last year's World Championships, and Mark Proctor.  In the men's C2, Florence and Hounslow will compete with Tim Bailie and Etienne Stott, and young pair Rhys Davies and Matt Lister.


Next weekend will see three races taking place on the water at Lee Valley, with each competitor's best two race results being used to determine selection. Athletes can use the results from the 2011 World Championships to count towards their 'best two results'.

Once at the Games, Britain is aiming for what would be a record three canoe slalom and sprint medals at this summer's Olympics, GB Canoeing performance director John Anderson said here today.

"Our athletes are absolutely dedicated to their sport," he insisted. "All these athletes have put in 10,000 hours of preparation to get to where they are today. They are absolutely some of the most talented athletes in the world that we have been privileged to watch."

The chances of achieving his goal should be boosted by Tim Brabants if he makes it to London. The Beijing 2008 gold medallist turned doctor, turned Olympic athlete again, and soon to turn back into being a doctor, is aiming to retain his title. But if Britain can pick up a canoe slalom gold it will be the first in the discipline since it became a part of the Olympic programme in 1972.

At the course today alongside the 2012 medal hopes were that British team from 1972 in Munich, giving the day a rounded, historical feel. But Britain only picked up its first canoe slalom medal at Barcelona 1992 through Gareth Marriott, and have won a further four slalom medals in subsequent Games, meaning much of the sport's 'history' is yet to be made in this country.

Anderson told insidethegames that the future was bright for the sport, and was particularly pleased with the facility at Lee Valley, the first Olympic venue to be built and open to the public when it opened its doors last April. It was also the first Olympic venue to win the right to host a major international championships – the World Canoe Slalom Championships in 2015.


"As soon as London won the Games and we knew there would be a slalom course here we got involved in the design of the facility," Anderson told insidethegames.

"Three of our staff here were involved in designing the model. The legacy value of this course is above and beyond, it really is. I'd like to think we'll have a fantastic Olympic competition here that captures the public's imagination.

"I'm absolutely convinced that this facility will be a commercial success."

With 30,000 visitors coming to Lee Valley to take to the white water course since its construction it is providing an early legacy for London 2012 and some evidence of Anderson's views. It is also only the second white water centre in Olympic history to have two courses; the second is a 'legacy loop' for beginners and canoeing enthusiasts to hone their skills.

And on the water, Anderson insisted that the team selected to compete at the Olympics were "absolutely capable" of making one of the three medals he hopes to win a gold. His strategy is simple.

"My aim is to have at least three boats per class capable of challenging for the podium," he said. "It has tended to be that way in the last three Olympics, we did not qualify a C2 for Beijing which was really disappointing for us. We came back and regrouped and now it (C2) is a real strength."

Indeed the C2 is the only discipline in which Britain medalled at last summer's World Championships. If only everything in life were so simple. Next weekend it will be anything but for the athletes fighting for a chance to go to the Olympics this summer and make history on the waters here.

David Gold is a reporter for insidethegames