Boyton targets 2012 K2 slot at European qualifier (From Your Local Guardian)

Boyton targets 2012 K2 slot at European qualifier

5:43pm Thursday 10th May 2012 in Sport By Stuart Amos

Hampton’s Jon Boyton is out to prove the Team GB sprint canoe selectors wrong by qualifying his boat for the 2012 Olympics in Poland next week.

The 23-year-old and partner Ed Rutherford were overloo-ked for the K2 1,000m crew at last year’s world championship in favour of Tim Brabants and Ben Farrell – a pairing thrown together at the last minute after Brabants failed to get a place in the K1 event.

The replacement pairing finished sixth in the B final and failed to qualify the boat for the London Games.

Royal Canoe Club’s Boyton and Rutherford go to the final European Olympic qualifier in Poznan next week needing to win to be on the start line at Lake Dorney in the summer.

“The selectors decided the seats for the K2 would not be contested and it was just given to Tim and Ben,”said Boyton.

“I didn’t agree with the decision. I knew what we were capable of and that was the most frustrating thing.

“It is going to be like no other race. We either win or we’re not going to the Olympics.”

l Teddington’s Tim Brabants is at the same venue for the summer’s first sprint canoe World Cup regatta.