An Australian kayaker has expressed irritation at the way the home media have reacted to the country’s victory in the men’s K4 1,000m event. The Australian boat shocked the rest of the boats in the final by taking an unexpected lead right from the start and holding on to it until the finish.
Gary Rake, who’s a keen kayaker in Australia and also chief executive of the National Capital Authority, which essentially administers and develops Canberra as the Australian capital city, reacted on Twitter after seeing one too many headlines describing the K4 crew as “oarsome”.
As Royal CC website readers will know, it’s a particular bugbear of ours too.
Rake, however, went further, pointing out the key differences between Australia’s canoeists and its rowers: “Media: pls stop calling the K4 ‘oarsome’. Kayakers use paddles. We also face Forward. And, Oh yeah, our 4 won GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!”
The message was also retweeted by @auscanoe, which is the Australian Canoe Federation’s official Twitter feed. Nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry between canoeists and rowers, then.
