The course for the 18km race begins on the Regatta Lake in Gent, followed by two 7km laps through the centre of the town along the canal system before returning to the lake. Ella's achievement is very impressive as the standard of competition at this event is always very high and the distance is somewhat longer than she would normally race.
Ella was one of 20 promising young canoeists invited to take part in the event as part of the GB Development Squad. Each year the Marathon Racing Committee review the participants they have seen at the regional training days and hand-pick a number of youngsters to compete in this prestigious and challenging event. The intention is to identify some of the youngsters who may eventually progress into the GB team and give them some early experience of international competition.
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