Last night I was watching the Wimbledon match between Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka, and at one point they showed stats on Raducanu’s first serve placement. It was a small detail, but I found it fascinating, seeing exactly where she was aiming and how consistent she was under pressure.
It got me thinking: why don’t we see more of that in canoe sprint races? We follow the action, we get the times, but there’s so much more going on tactically that gets missed.
So I decided to dig into the data from the Ciutat de Palma Paddle Games that we organised back in October. Here’s what I found when I looked at who always turned the same way… and who didn’t.
Paddlers Who Always Turned in the Same Direction
Consistency is often the hallmark of elite athletes. The following paddlers stayed true to one turning direction throughout all their races:
Always Turned LEFT
| Athlete | HEAT | QF | SF | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Cooper Walz (ESP) | LEFT | — | LEFT | LEFT (B) |
| Saul Craviotto Rivero (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | — | RIGHT (B) |
| Roi Rodriguez Huertas (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT | RIGHT (B) |
| Lucia Val Cerdeira (ESP) | LEFT | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Anna Pulawska (POL) | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Deborah Kerr (GBR) | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT | RIGHT (B) |
| Carlos Perez Rial (ESP) | RIGHT | — | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Rodrigo Germade Barreiro (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | — | LEFT (B) |
| Enrique Adan Hernandez (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Manfreddi Rizza (ITA) | LEFT | — | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Jule Hake (GER) | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
| Emma Russell (GBR) | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT (B) |
| Adrian Del Rio Casarrubios (ESP) | LEFT | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT (A) |
Always Turned RIGHT
| Athlete | HEAT | QF | SF | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Graneri Larrea (ESP) | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT (A) |
| Carlos Arevalo Lopez (ESP) | LEFT | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT (A) |
| Teresa Portela (POR) | RIGHT | — | RIGHT | LEFT (A) |
| Pauline Paszek (GER) | RIGHT | — | RIGHT | RIGHT (A) |
| Selma Konijn (NDL) | RIGHT | — | RIGHT | LEFT (A) |
| Frederikke Matthiesen (DEN) | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT (A) |
Paddlers Who Changed Direction
Some athletes adapted their approach mid-competition, perhaps due to strategic decisions or a split second decision to find a better option.
| Athlete | HEAT | QF | SF | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elisa Zapata Jenaro (ESP) | LEFT | — | LEFT | RIGHT (B) |
| Ruth Vorsselman (NDL) | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT | RIGHT (A) |
| Carla Vey Suarez (ESP) | LEFT | RIGHT | — | LEFT (B) |
| Tom Liebscher-Lucz (GER) | LEFT | RIGHT | — | RIGHT (B) |
| Jacob Schopf (GER) | LEFT | — | RIGHT | RIGHT (A) |
| Carlos Garcia Ruiz (ESP) | RIGHT | LEFT | RIGHT | LEFT (B) |
| Mercedes Zapata Jenaro (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | — | RIGHT (B) |
| Anna Kakol (POL) | LEFT | RIGHT | — | RIGHT (B) |
| Martina Isequilla (ARG) | RIGHT | LEFT | LEFT | LEFT (B) |
| Lluc Matas Pomar (ESP) | RIGHT | RIGHT | — | LEFT (B) |
| Joakim Lindberg (SWE) | LEFT | LEFT | — | LEFT (B) |
| Teresa Tirado Dotor (ESP) | LEFT | LEFT | — | LEFT (B) |
| Fernando Pimenta (POR) | RIGHT | RIGHT | RIGHT | LEFT (A) |
Overall Turning Behavior
| Category | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Always Turned LEFT | 13 | 40.6% |
| Always Turned RIGHT | 6 | 18.8% |
| Changed Direction | 13 | 40.6% |
| Total | 32 | 100% |
Final Thought
It’s fascinating how much insight you can gather from something as seemingly small as a left or right turn. These decisions can reflect a paddler’s confidence, preparation, and adaptability.
I’d love to see more of these kinds of stats shared during canoe events. Just like in tennis, they add a whole new layer of depth to how we watch and understand the sport.
REINVENT THE GAME. 
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