CRONULLA-Sutherland Kayak Club has seven members headed overseas next month to represent Australia at the Marathon World Cup Masters and Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary.
One of their final tune-ups for the international series of races was held on Saturday at Grays Point when the club staged a round of the state marathon series.
More than 140 entrants took to the water for endurance canoe racing at Grays Point.
Cronulla Sutherland Kayak Club secretary Peter Sigal said Australian Canoeing named the magnificent seven to represent at the International Canoe Federation World Canoe Marathon Championships and the World Masters Cup.
The Masters World Cup is on September 8-9; the World Championship September 11-13.
The seven selected are Nadya Mikhailova, Pauline Findlay, Dallas Newman, Lorraine Harper Horak will compete along with Darren Lee and David Little in the Masters World Cup in both K1 and K2 class events. Australian marathon champion Sasa Vujanic will compete in the World Marathon Championship men's senior K1 event.
Sigal said the their selection was as a result of individual performances at the Australian Marathon Championships held in Canberra earlier this year.
Sigal said it's a credit to their club and reflects the top calibre of people that are members of the club.
Two Test greats
ON THE cricket front, the fifth Ashes Test starts at The Oval in south London today, as skipper Michael Clarke wears the baggy green for the last time.
I spoke about my endorsement of Clarke in this column last Thursday.
He has been a wonderful player and fine leader.
This will be his 115th and final Test match.
The Test, limited-overs one-dayers and Twenty20 sides will be captained by Sutherland Cricket Club's Steve Smith, who was formally appointed on Friday .
Clarke was the brash young stroke-maker who became the steadfast, tough, selective shot-maker and the studied accumulator as his career developed.
Smith deserves full support and have the opportunity to take the next generation of players forward at international level.
At 26 he still has many, many, many innings ahead of him.
He is a humble young man, articulate, and communicates and relates well with people of all ages.
Smith has hinted he may even drop himself down the batting order to No. 4 from his newly acquired No.3 position.
Smith should stay at No.3 and build a new middle order around him.
