Now, the five-time Olympian hopes to put his name on that ticket.
Ford won the K-1 event on Sunday and earned Canada its only Olympic berth in
slalom canoe/kayak for the 2012 Games in London this summer. Ford and his
teammates — Paul Manning Hunter and John Hastings — will take part in a national
qualifying competition next month in North Carolina. The winner of the time
trials will represent Canada at the Olympics.
Ford’s best Olympic showing came in 2004, when he placed fourth in
Athens.
Innisfail’s Jessica Groeneveld was Canada’s highest ranked female slalom
kayaker, but was upset by 15-year-old Brazilian Ana Satila Vieira Vargas, who
won the women’s K-1 final.
Groeneveld finished second and missed out on an Olympic berth. Ottawa’s Thea
Froehlich placed third, with teammate Sarah Boudens (Pembroke, Ont.) finishing
in eighth-place.
Ottawa’s Cameron Smedley narrowly lost out in the men’s C-1 event and
finished in third. Brothers Daniel and Thomas Purcell, of Innisfail, partnered
in the C-2 event and came fourth, with Adam and Jamie Cutts of Ottawa finishing
in sixth.