London 2012 Olympics: Cawthorn secures place in women’s sprint kayak final
The 23-year-old won her heat in the K1 500 metres impressively and then came second in her semi-final, raising the prospect of a medal for Team GB tomorrow. Cawthorn was in fifth at the halfway stage of her semi-final, but with the home support behind her managed to paddle up the field and qualify automatically.
But there was disappointment for Louisa Sawers, 24, and 20-year-old Abigail Edmonds, who failed to reach the final of the women’s double kayak.
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Hide AdSpeaking after the race, Cawthorn, from Guildford, Surrey, revealed the secret of her success was to do a couple of pilates headstands before each race.
The former European champion said: “I used to have a lucky hairband and a lucky penny but I abandoned them a couple of years ago. But before the race I do a couple of headstands. Everything is planned out to the last minute. I just do a bit of pilates before I go because it’s part of my routine. It switches on my core and prepares me to go out.”
She continued: “I put everything in to the last bit [of the race]. The crowd helped so much to keep me going at the end. I think because I was up with everyone, I was able to come through. It feels like my own lake, like it’s my home. The crowd was awesome.”