Team USA Coach hosts clinic for Gig Harbor Canoe & Kayak Racing Team athletes

Zsolt Szadovski, Team USA coach for the 2017 Sprint Canoe Junior World Championships, visited Gig Harbor last week to work with members of the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team.

Szadovski spent three days on the water, in the gym, and conducting video reviews with the athletes of the racing team. In addition to providing technique evaluation and instruction to individual athletes, Szadovski also spent significant time discussing race, training and equipment philosophy and strategy with the Gig Harbor athletes and coaches.

Three Gig Harbor athletes will be competing for chance to represent the U.S. in the 2017 Sprint Canoe Junior World Championships. Olivia Crocker, Catherine Wilborn and Ryan Grady will be in Atlanta in May, hoping to qualify for Team USA. If selected, they will travel with Szadovski to Pitesti, Romania in July. Bringing Szadovski to Gig Harbor gave the Junior Worlds hopefuls an opportunity to get to know and work with him prior to Team USA trials and the international competition.

GHCKRT para-canoe athlete Ziggy Norberg will also be competing in Atlanta in May for a position on the Para Canoe World Championships U.S. Team, and participated in the clinic in preparation for that.

It is the team’s philosophy to seek out fresh ideas and different perspectives in training and coaching, GHCKRT head coach Alan Anderson said in a release.

“When it comes to competing in Europe, we are all one team,” Anderson said. “Anything we can do to make the United States stronger, we are always looking out for that.”

Szadovski has 12 years of professional coaching experience, is a two-time World silver medalist in sprint Kayak, and spent 13 years as a member of the Hungarian national team. He is currently also the head coach of the Hawaii Canoe and Kayak Team.

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Team USA Coach hosts clinic for Gig Harbor Canoe & Kayak Racing Team athletes."