Adam van Koeverden

Infobox runner
runnername = Adam van Koeverden


caption = Adam paddling in a kayak
fullname = Adam Joseph van Koeverden
nationality = Canadian
distance(s) = K-1 1000m, K-1 500m
club = Burloak Canoe Club
collegeteam =
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1982|01|29
birthplace = Oakville, Ontario, Canada
residence = Summit Ridge (West Oak Trails)
deathdate =
deathplace =
height =5'11
weight = 190lbs/87kg
medaltemplates = Adam Joseph van Koeverden (born January 29, 1982) is a Canadian flatwater kayak racer. He was born in Oakville, Ontario. His home club is the Burloak Canoe Club in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

porting Career

He won a bronze medal in the K-1 1000 m at the 1999 world junior championships in Zagreb, Croatia, and then became world junior marathon champion in 2000. His first success as a senior came with a silver medal at the 2003 world championships in Gainesville, Georgia in the men's K-1 1000 m event. At the 2004 Summer Olympics Van Koeverden won two medals, including a gold in the K-1 500 m and a bronze in the K-1 1000 m. He was Canada's flag bearer at the closing ceremonies and was later awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of 2004.

In 2005, van Koeverden won two medals at the 2005 Flatwater Racing World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia: a silver in the K-1 1000 m and a bronze in the K-1 500 m. At the 2006 Flatwater Racing World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, van Koeverden finished fourth in both the K-1 500 m and 1000 m finals. At the 2006 Canadian Sprint Canoe Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan, he won five gold medals (K-1 1000 m, K-2 1000 m, K-4 1000 m, K-4 200 m, and War Canoe), and two silver medals (K-1 200 m and K-2 200 m).

Van Koeverden had great success on the World Cup circuit in 2007, going undefeated over both 500 m and 1000 m in three competitions. [cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur/story/2007/06/02/van-koeverden-gerardmer.html|title=Van Koeverden extends kayak streak|date=2007-06-02|work=CBC Sports|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-30] At the 2007 Flatwater Racing World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, van Koeverden won the gold medal in the K-1 500 m and the silver medal in the K-1 1000 m.

Van Koeverden beat his own world record in the K-1 500 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a time of one minute and 35.554 seconds. [cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/canoe-kayaking/story/2008/08/19/olympics-kayak-aug19.html|title=Van Koeverden advances to semis in record time|accessdate=2008-08-21] He finished a disappointing 8th place in the 1000m race. After the race, Van Koeverden said "I'm sorry" into the watching cameras of the CBC. He finished with a silver medal in the 500m race. Originally, he had been listed as bronze medallist, until the scoreboard was corrected to indicate he had finished second. van Koeverden had lead most of the way from the start, but was overtaken by the Australian winner Ken Wallace at the finish line, with British bronze medallist Tim Brabants ending in a photo finish with him.

In the leadup to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, van Koeverden was named flag bearer for the Canadian Olympic team at the opening ceremonies. [cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2008/07/23/flag-bearer.html|title=Van Koeverden named Canada's flag-bearer|date=2008-07-23|work=CBC Olympics|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-07-23]

Education

Adam attended St. Ignatius of Loyola Secondary School located in Oakville, Ontario.

Van Koeverden is a graduate of McMaster University. He graduated in June 2007 as valedictorian of his class. [cite news|url=http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=4734|title=Olympic athlete to give valedictory address|last=Bubak|first=Susan|date=2007-06-04|work=McMaster Daily News|publisher=McMaster University|accessdate=2008-07-02]

ee also

* Caroline Brunet

References

External links

* [http://www.vankayak.com/ Official website of Adam van Koeverden]
* [http://www.canoekayak.ca/athletes/eng/Adam%2Dvan%2DKoeverden/ CanoeKayak Canada profile]
* [http://www.realchampions.ca/athletes/adamvankoeverden Adam van Koeverden on Real Champions]