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Canoe death boy 'did not drown'
A teenager who died during a canoeing trip did not drown, tests have show, and his death is still unexplained.
2008-11-19 12:04:07
Police investigate canoeing death
An inquiry continues into the death of a promising teenage footballer, as he canoed on a river during a school trip.
2008-11-17 03:00:00
Kenya: South Africa Pair Lead Canoe Race
South Africa's Hugh Cocksedge and his wife Nanette Cocksedge led the second stage on the second day of the International Canoeing...
2008-11-08 17:11:26
How safety first culture takes risk out of adventure sports
The idea is to test the body and mind against the harshest of conditions, to give everything in the attempt to cross the finishing line but also to have the guts to call it a day when the going gets too tough. However, at a time when adventure sports are booming, enthusiasts say they face an even tougher test of their resolve - over-regulation, bureaucracy and public suspicion. It emerged this week that the venerable 280-mile North Sea yacht race from Scotland to Norway had been cancelled because not enough crews could afford the safety certificates. Fell-running clubs, which have never been busier, are taking a long look at how they organise their events after the outcry over the Lake District Original Mountain Marathon that went ahead in awful weather a fortnight ago. The North Sea race between Macduff in north-east Scotland and Stavanger in Norway was introduced 25 years ago to give experienced coastal and fjord sailors a chance to race in difficult ocean conditions. The organiser, Tony Brown, said safety was paramount but crews were now balking at paying up to &amppound;200 for an international offshore safety certificate. Only 10 crews entered this summer. Brown said: "Twenty years ago all you needed was insurance and away you went." This weekend hundreds of fell runners will line up in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and north Wales to compete in races rejoicing in names such as the Shepherds' Skyline, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, and the Leg It Around Lathkill in the Peak District. The Fell Runners Association boasts 6,000 members and the number is rising, but its secretary, Alan Brentnall, said there was concern that after the ill-fated Original Mountain Marathon health and safety officials would be taking a closer look at the sport and that landowners might hesitate to give permission for races. "That would be worrying," he said.Richard Asquith, a fell runner and author of the admired book on the sport Feet in the Clouds, said organisers were under pressure to tone down their events to fit the "risk assessment culture". He added: "The whole onus of society is on safety first. Who would be an organiser"Martin Stone, who runs a marathon called the LAMM in the Scottish Highlands, said: "It's so important for people who are so regimented in everyday life to have a way of escaping. We've got to fight the regulation and the dumbing down." The premise of events such as the Lakeland race is that competitors, not the organisers, assess the conditions and decide if they should go ahead. David Munn, 39, who has taken part in 19 Original Mountain Marathons, said competitors did not expect someone else to take responsibility for their actions. "This is a hugely refreshing view in a world where everything always seems to have to be someone else's fault," he said. The charge levelled at the competitors that they are a burden on the emergency services, including the voluntary mountain rescue service, are roundly rejected. Mike Park, who took part in the race and is also team leader of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue, said that mountain marathon runners were almost always better prepared than normal hikers. Mike Parsons, the organiser of the Lakeside marathon, pointed out that out of the 1,427 people who entered only 14 were injured, none seriously.But some events have already changed. Youngsters who compete in the army-organised Ten Tors expedition on Dartmoor in Devon every summer can carry mobile phones for an emergency after the death of a 14-year-old girl while training for the challenge. The event spokesman David Harris said: "Ten Tors is all about risk, but acceptable risk." Other sports are feeling the pressure. Sand yacht enthusiasts have found it harder to stage events since a woman was killed after being hit by a sand yacht while walking on a beach in Lancashire. Families who went canoeing on the River Wye in south Wales this summer found hire companies on tenterhooks about health and safety after the death of a nine-year-old girl. Caving bodies, gliding clubs, even rollerskating groups have reported that they have struggled to cope with increased insurance premiums. Ian Anderson, chairman of the International Coasteering Association - whose bag is climbing, scrambling and leaping around sea cliffs - said some landowners saw enthusiasts as irresponsible risk-takers. "Is it going to get to the point where we have to wear a helmet to walk to the shops" he asked. Julian Brazier MP, the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on adventure and recreation in society, called for Britain to follow the example of the US and Australia and make it harder for organisers of sport and leisure pursuits to be sued. He said: "Society needs to accept that accidents happen without it always being someone's fault."Case studyAnne Jago, retired teacher, 64, veteran of 30 mountain marathonsIt's not just a physical challenge, it's a mental challenge as well. It can be very hard. You go up and up. Your lungs are bursting, your calves are burning but you don't give up. When I finish the event I'm glowing with pride because you've tested your self-sufficiency in the wild - and I am very proud of beating men who are a lot younger than me. It's really all about self-reliance. You are away from civilisation and you are self-sufficient in the wilderness. You've got everything you need in your rucksack. I had an accident one year. I fell forward on slippery rock. I was slightly concussed, there was blood everywhere. What was amazing was that immediately there were people all around. I was wrapped in a space blanket. I was given Ibuprofen and jelly babies. I didn't want to retire so I carried on. It's so important. There's so many people who would rather I just drove to the shopping centre and home. But it's such a healthy pastime. You have to keep your weight down and do all the things the government wants you to do. I feel much more in danger when I'm driving down the motorway. If one car goes everyone goes.I'm determined to go on and on as long as I can. At the end of an event I always think I can do another one.guardian.co.uk &ampcopy; Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
2008-11-08 02:26:40
Britain dominates rowing event at Beijing Paralympics
British rowers dominated the Beijing Paralympics by claiming two golds at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on Thursday while China and Italy shared the remaining two golds. Britain pulled off a gold double in the women's and men's single sculls. Helene Raynsford made history by winning the first Paralympic Games gold medal ever awarded in the sport of rowing with a runaway 12-second edge over Luidmila Vauchok from Belarus and Laura Schwanger of the United States. Reig ...
2008-09-12 17:48:09
Park the family at the river
Riverside Park is the hub of family activities and live music Friday and Saturday during the River Blast Festival in New Ulm. A water parade, fishing, boat rides and canoeing will be featured on the M...
2008-08-25 12:05:29
China wins gold race; US leads overall
&ltp>&ltfont size="2">&ltstrong&gtBeijing, Aug. 24: China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate.&ltp&gtChinaÃ¢Â€Â™s haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.&ltp&gtNot since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the US or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list.&ltp&gtThe United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didnÃ¢Â€Â™t lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non-boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of ChinaÃ¢Â€Â™s overall tally this year. Britain, getting an early jump on its host role for the 2012 Summer Games, had its best Olympics in a century with 19 gold medals Ã¢Â€Â” good for fourth place behind the Russians. Its cyclists and sailors were the class of the field, and 19-year-old Rebecca Adlington stunned the swimming world with two golds in distance events.&ltp&gtIt was also a satisfying Olympics for many of the worldÃ¢Â€Â™s weaker sporting nations. A record 87 nations won medals, seven more than the previous high in Sydney in 2000, and a dozen nations won either their first-ever gold medal or first medal of any colour.&ltp&gtJamaicaÃ¢Â€Â™s sprinters and hurdlers Ã¢Â€Â” led by triple-gold sensation Usain Bolt Ã¢Â€Â” won 11 medals, one for every 245,000 of its 2.7 million people. With a population of 21.4 million, Australia won 46 medals, one for each 465,000 people. Cuba won 24 medals, one for each 470,000 of its 11.3 million citizens.&ltp&gtPopulous countries with no medals included Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh. Kenya, despite election-related unrest which killed hundreds and disrupted its preparations, had a great games with five golds and 14 medals overall. Ethiopian runners Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba each won rare double golds in the 5,000 and 10,000.&ltp&gtOverall, Africa won 40 medals Ã¢Â€Â” the most ever. Those included the first-ever Olympic medals for Togo in canoeing, Mauritius in boxing, and Sudan in the 800 meters. Also winning first-ever medals were Tajikstan, Bahrain, and war-torn Afghanistan. Ã¢Â€Â” AP&ltp>Ã‚Â
2008-08-24 21:37:29
More money for Scottish canoeists
The sports minister announces extra funding for canoeing - days after an Olympic win by a Scot.
2008-08-24 04:03:38
Doctor Tim Brabants lifts gold for Britain in Olympic kayak final
Tim Brabants a doctor who put his medical career on hold to pursue Olympic glory has won Britain's first ever gold medal in canoeing.
2008-08-23 20:16:31
Meng/Yang of China retain men's canoe double C2 500m gold
&$ &$Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun of China compete in the menâ€™s canoe double C2 500m final at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China, Aug. 23, 2008. They won the gold medal.Xinhua Photo&$&$ Meng Guanliang/Yang Wenjun from China retained their men's canoe double C2 500m title in one minute and 41.025 seconds at the Beijing Olympics on Saturday. &$<img ...
2008-08-00 00:00:00