Smith books ticket to Beijing

JOEL RITCHIE

Illawarra kayaker David Smith has secured a spot in the Australian team for the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

Smith will race in the K4 1000m in Beijing after winning selection last week after the Australian titles.

Smith said he isn’t going to Beijing “just to stuff around” – he wants a medal.

“Because I’m going to the Olympics I don’t think an attitude of just going to make the finals isn’t good enough,” he said.

“I’ll be racing with Clint Robinson and he wouldn’t be racing unless we were a chance of a medal.”

Smith said his Olympic reality didn’t set in until he talked to the team’s elder statesman, Clint Robinson, who will be racing at his fifth Olympic Games.

“When we sat down and talked about how we are going to prepare for Beijing, that’s when it really sunk in,” Smith said.

The Australian team will do some preliminary work on the Gold Coast before a camp in Rockhampton and two World Cup events in Europe.

They will arrive in Beijing at the end of June.

Smith has spent all but two of the past twenty months away from home to train for the Olympic Games.

He lived on the Gold Coast and spent time training and competing in Europe.

“I’ve been living out of a travel bag – there was no way I could miss out on the Olympics,” Smith said.

“It’s definitely been worth it. When we get a medal that will top everything.”

Smith said securing a spot on the team for Beijing was easily the biggest thing in his career to date.

Along with competing at world and national level in kayaking, Smith is an accomplished surf lifesaver.

He is currently in Perth competing at the Australian titles for Currowa after an impressive junior surf life saving career with Warilla-Barrack Point.

Smith originally took up Stillwater kayaking to help with the ski leg in surf sports.

After a disappointing result at the 2005 World Junior Championships he targeted Beijing.

“I didn’t do that well in 2005 so 2006-07 and this kayaking season have been geared towards making Beijing,” he said.

Smith dedicated his selection to his former swimming coach, the late Ted McKay.

He also thanked his parents, girlfriend Ashley and coach Terry Prosser for their years of dedication and assistance in helping David reach his dream. Smith also paid tribute to Scott and Nigel from Racing Line and Steven Vegh from Canoe Innovations.