Men's Olympic champ advocate of women's canoe, but paddlers must be at high level Koeverden, who won silver in the Cain also sees no reason for kayaking singles 1,000m, and Mark women's canoe not to be in the Oldershaw, who won bronze in the Olympics, but is hesitant on rush- canoeing singles 1,000m. Mark Oldershaw, too, has grown ing its debut. In paddling, it typically takes eight to 10 years to up seeing many women excel in develop a champion, and most canoe and finds it frustrating that women have only been competing the sport has been on the verge of making the next internationally for step, but still not the last three years. "I don't think the there yet. He thinks the IOC Olympics should be "Right away, as should give women something you go to soon as it was in a time frame to prethe world champipare, so when they just because you're the onships, it just got debut, they are at a best there is. I think they better and better very high level. "I should go because... the these two years. don't think that the level they're at is a And it just looks Olympics should be very high level." bad for our sport to something you go to not have it espejust because you're Former Olympic men's canoe cially in the the best there is. I champion Larry Cain Olympic Games." think they should As some club go because they're the best and the level that they're at members play volleyball and others is a very high level," says Cain, the sit on the picnic tables and relax, 1984 Olympic champion in men's the two Olympic medallists joke about how heavy these London canoe. Cain believes young girls pad- medals are. The smell of Diana bardling canoe should train hard now, becue sauce on roasted chicken and not wait until the sport is in the pork wafts through the air. Abby Olympics. "If you're a young girl at Haines puts back her C-4 (fours) a canoe club, you're wasting time boat, along with fellow canoeist waiting that could be spent getting Taylor Potts and two kayakers who have been put in the boat as well. good," he says. Potts had also been preparing On a recent Friday afternoon, Cain is out on the water on his yel- for nationals and was a strong conlow stand-up paddle board, gliding tender, qualifying in second at beside the men's and women's C-4s national team trials this year. As they take the boat off Sixteen he is coaching that day. Out of their sight, but not too far away, club Mile Creek, the female canoeists members have gathered to wel- know there is still a lot of work to come home Olympic medallists and be done. But just around the bend, fellow Burloak members, Adam van they hope, is their Olympic future. Continued from page 80 81 · Friday, August 24, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com MARTA IWANEK / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @HALTON_PHOTOG CARRYING FOR A CAUSE: Jillian Perrone carries her boat from Sixteen Mile Creek to the storage building at Burloak Canoe Club. Laughton inks with Philadelphia Flyers The Oshawa Generals may find themselves without the services of Oakville resident Scott Laughton, at least early on in the upcoming OHL season. The third-year centreman and first-round pick of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers recently signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club and could be in a position to crack the roster out of training camp this fall. Laughton has played the Scott Laughton past two seasons for the Generals, scoring 33 goals and adding 43 assists for 76 points in 127 games. In 2011-12, Laughton had 53 points over 64 games, but scored 41 of those points (18G, 23A) in the final 39 games of the season. He ranked third on the team with 101 penalty minutes and also added five points in six games during the OHL playoffs. Having put pen to paper, Laughton will now head to camp with the Flyers next month and look to impress coach Peter Laviolette and his staff. Should Laughton make the club, he can play up to nine games with the Flyers before burning the first year of his contract. Should there be no lockout as the league and players association attempt to work out a new collective bargaining agreement, the Flyers will open their season Oct. 11 at home to the Boston Bruins. The next game of note, if Laughton makes the club, is Nov. 1, the Flyers' ninth game of the season, home to the New Jersey Devils. Oakville Vytis Basketball Association OAKVILLE'S NEWEST REAL ICE TRAINING FACILITY COMING SEPTEMBER 2012 BASKETBALL TRYOUTS Ages 8 19 HOME OF 7 ONTARIO BASKETBALL Join the tradition... 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