By Ashley Landis
San Marcos — World class athletes are pouring into San Marcos for Sunday’s Olympic qualifying kayak competition for white water slalom.
The kayakers will compete at Rio Vista Falls for a chance to fill a spot on the U.S. Olympic team heading for China later this year.
These national and international competitors are excited to start their Olympic journey here in Texas, said Michelle Kvanli of the Power Olympic Outdoor Center.
Athletes have arrived from England, Chile, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, North Carolina, Missouri, Colorado and Georgia to compete in the trials. Top finishers here will go on to compete in Charlotte, N.C. on April 26-28 for a position on the U.S. Olympic team.
Included in the group is Heather Corrie, a multiple World-Cup medalist and gold medal favorite for the U.S. in women's kayak at the 2008 Olympics.
“This woman is one of the best kayakers in history,” said Ben Kvanli of the Power Olympic Outdoor Center.
Kvanli himself is a 1996 Olympian and will be joining his double canoe partner Mark Poindexter for the qualifier. His wife, Michelle, will be returning to the event after recuperating from an injury.
The Kvanlis have been the driving force behind bringing the Olympic qualifiers to San Marcos. Michelle bid for the event at a USA Canoe and Kayak conference in Oklahoma City last October and the Kvanlis had to work quickly to prepare for the event.
“It’s all happened so fast,” said Ben. “The folks that have come in so far are just the best people. They’re going to be great ambassadors for San Marcos.”
The Kvanlis have about 100 volunteers coming from all over the state to help things run smoothly, and they have plans to do it again. Because of the climate and cleanliness of the San Marcos River, the area is ideal for winter training, Ben said.
"The San Marcos is perfect for winter training and racing," said Red River Racing Team Coach Jim Stuart. "It is unique in all the world in that it has the perfect water levels, the water and air temperatures are warm, and it is in the middle of a city with good infrastructure. Right now, many international teams travel to places like Costa Rica for winter training and risk transportation problems and getting ill from the water. Those concerns are erased here."
The Kvanlis and Red River Racing, of which Michelle is a member, are working to get the city of San Marcos designated as a USA Canoe and Kayak official winter training site.
After this weekend, three men and three women kayakers will move on to the American trials, along with two canoers and two double canoe teams.
The Rio Vista whitewater slalom course will be made up of 18 gates through which kayakers and canoers will have to weave their way. Athletes must navigate the course cleanly to avoid time penalties. Each athlete receives two runs, and both run times are added together to create the score. The lowest scores move on.
“You gotta be there to see it,” Ben said. “It’s really interesting to watch these people aspiring to do such great things.”
San Marcos is the first of four qualifiers. Others will take place in Seattle, North Carolina and Washington D.C. later this year.
After the qualifiers, the Kvanlis will be hosting a kayaking course at the San Marcos Activity Center that leads up to the Junior Olympic qualifiers on April 5.
“Our true mission and goal is to bring this to the people of San Marcos,” Ben said.
The Olympic qualifying races will be at Rio Vista Falls from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with an awards ceremony at 3 p.m.
The 2008 Olympics will be in Beijing, China Aug. 8-24.
