Canoeing: Walsh full of praise for London 2012 slalom course

Scotland’s Walsh said the £31 million new water sports centre at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, designed specifically for the Games, would provide a “challenging” test for athletes as the course was both “physically and technically” demanding.

Unlike other venues, the 34-year-old said, there were no parts where the world’s best canoeists could rest as they look to compete the run in under 90 seconds. Walsh, who won silver in Athens eight years ago, said Britain’s top slalom canoeists should have an advantage over the world’s best – but gold medals could not be guaranteed.

A mild winter had provided the best possible training conditions, he claimed, as the team prepares to travel to Australia next week for race practice.

“It’s a very, very difficult course out there,” said the Bridge of Allan-based canoeist, as he praised Broxbourne.

“The water is challenging, both physically and technically, which multiplies as you are trying to do a race on it and it becomes difficult towards the end of the run to hold it all together in terms of the technical and physical aspects.

“It’s continuous and that is the biggest difference on this course. You are dealing with small waves and stoppers and then a big drop, one after the other all the time – there is no break.

“A lot of the other courses might have a heavy difficult section and then it is a little bit easier where you can recover a bit – and then there is a difficult section.”

Walsh started canoeing at 11. He still has to win a place on the team this April and faces stiff competition from up-and-coming British athletes. There is only one place available in his category, but he believes he is in the best condition possible ahead of the games having remained injury free this winter and able to train as normal, apart from a cold in December which slightly disrupted his training pattern.

“Something that has made a massive difference is the mild winter,” Walsh said. “It’s been a lot milder than last year. We have had very few days of frost and ice.

“When you are out there and get splashed in the face, it’s not really appreciated.”

Although he believes the chance to routinely practice on the course will provide the British team with an advantage over their competitors, there is a fierce battle to represent Team GB in the first instance, with each potential member trying to “squeeze” everything out of their final preparations ahead of the final selection trials in April.