Ed McKeever

Bradford on Avon paddler Ed McKeever could be heading for the Beijing Olympics after impressing at a regatta in Nottingham.

McKeever won selection for the Great Britain squad for the European Championships in Milan later this month, with a chance of selection for the Beijing Olympics.

McKeever, with partner Paul Wycherley of Wey, won the elite men's K2 500m and were third in the 1000m, which combined with their results from the April regatta earned them the K2 1000m slot for Milan.

McKeever also won the 200m K1 and was in the winning 1000m K4 team.

Also celebrating is James Webster, who was selected for a GB junior development squad regatta in Ghent.

Seventeen-year-old junior Tom Simmons was promoted to the elite senior men's category with wins in boys A 500m and 1000m and younger sister Hannah was promoted to girls B after excellent K1 performances.

In the masters' class, Mark Escott has been promoted to the highest category, masters A, following wins in 200m and 500m.

There were other great performances by Bradford's team, the most notable being James Missen, who won five gold medals in the lightning and mini-K4 categories. The masters K4 team came third in both their K4s, whilst in the junior novices category of boys D, the Escott cousins, James and Tim made 500m and 1000m K2 finals and came fourth in the K4s paddling with Steve Webster and Luke Escott.

There was also a good display from the girls, with Hannah Brown making the final of girls' B K1 500m and Hannah Missen and Rachel Meredith picked up second places in the girls' D K4s.

Bradford sprint paddlers will next be in action on June 7 and 8 at another regatta in Nottingham.

5:12am Friday 16th May 2008

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