four guys in the boat. So we’re moving our legs like crazy and we’re paddling at 120 strokes
per minute, but when you’re in a single, you’re just kind of doing your own thing.

F: Do you find it difficult to balance your university studies with being a competitive
kayaker?

H: I don’t get to go to school that much because paddling comes first right now — well, it
did in the last couple years. I would take a few classes in the fall and no classes in the winter
because I would go to Florida for two to three months [to train].

F; What was your most memorable moment at the Beijing Olympics?

H: Besides the racing, it would be the opening and closing ceremonies. The closing
ceremonies we got to see more because during the opening, the athletes did not make an
entrance into the stadium until the end. There was something like 90,000 people in the
stadium and 4 billion people watching. They all watched the Canadian athletes walk in.

F: How did it feel to represent Canada with so many people watching?

H: It was like a dream come true. All summer it was kind of hard to believe that I was
actually going to get to the Olympics and then when we got to walk into the opening
ceremonies, it felt like . . . the real deal. It was incredible walking into there.

F: Is paddling in Beijing different from kayaking in Canada?

H: It was a pretty big shocker when we first got there because it was really hot and there was
fog mixed with pollution. At [first] it was difficult, but we got used to it pretty quickly. It
was good though, because by the time we had to race the fog or pollution all cleared up. The
first time I paddled, it was really hard to breathe. You can usually see to the end of the two-
kilometre runs and you could only see about 400 metres ahead.

F: What are the feelings you get when you go through the motions of a race?

H: It all depends how the race is going so far. If I look around and there is no one is in sight
it can be pretty exciting, especially if we feel we can get to the finish line at that same pace.
If we find ourselves at the back of the pack, then it’s a different story. We need to keep
ourselves motivated throughout the whole race, even when we are completely exhausted and
out of touch with the leaders. Each race is going to hurt like hell, but how you did in that
race can determine how much you actually feel it afterwards. Winning definitely takes some
of the pain away. There’s no greater feeling than that of putting together a great race.

F: If there is one thing you would want students to know about the Olympics, what would it
be?

H: There are a lot of sports out there and everyone can find one that they are good at, and if
they really want to excel at it they just have to keep trying as hard as they can. They will get
good at it and they could eventually go to the Olympics. It was an incredible experience for
me to race there and worth every sacrifice I had to make to get there.

 

 

Pr 4

CANUCKS

 

Garth

McLennan
sports editor

 
 
 
 

September 29".

year.

to whether or not they’ll be contenders.

 

 

Te questionable moves continued for the Vancouver Canucks as they cut their brightest offensive prospect recently, Michael Grabner.
Grabner, the 20-year-old Austrian who scored 22 goals with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season, was among the seven players assigned to the Moose on

Grabner showed up extra early this year for camp in order to maximize his chances of making the Canucks. However, he has been dogged by inconsistency
over the course of his short professional career. At times he has displayed blazing speed and soft hands, which combine to make him a formidable offensive impact
players. He has also gone through rough stretches with the Moose as he went through long goalless droughts but still finished the season with 44 points in his rookie

Grabner was considered to have one of the best shots of making the Canucks. With an offensively challenged roster, it’s easy to see why. The Sedins are solid,
but it’s anyone’s guess how injury-prone Pavol Demitra will turn out. New General Manager Mike Gillis did a fantastic job of upgrading his third and fourth lines,
but he failed dramatically short in terms of acquiring any form of significant impact player. Gillis tendered a two-year, $20-million contract offer to unrestricted
Swedish superstar Mats Sundin, but the former Toronto Maple Leafs captain has been non-committal about his future and has left Vancouver twisting in the wind as

Lo This is where Grabner could have come in. With such a need for any sort of offense, the Canucks could have used him. Sure, he’s new, but he’s shown strong o

 

 

 

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