CANOE SLALOM: Olympic goals
12:29pm Friday 14th December 2007
A FEARNHEAD teenager is determined not to let youth deny him a chance to compete in the canoe slalom at next year's Beijing Olympics.
Anton Lippek is only 18 years old but he has already been competing for Great Britain at junior level for two years and, with gold at the 2012 Olympics in London his long-term ambition, he wants to make the step up to the senior team in Beijing.
Qualifying for the British Olympic squad - ahead of stars such as Athens silver medallist Campbell Walsh - will be a big ask but Lippek is determined to succeed.
"It is going to be tough," said Lippek, who moved to Nottingham to train at the National Water Sports Centre after finishing his studies at Bridgewater High School but is now back in Warrington.
"My sights are set on a gold medal in London 2012 but I do have strong aspirations for Beijing and will put 110 per cent into getting there.
"The reality is that athletes in this sport tend to peak at about 26 or 27. I'm still 18 but it's not going to hold me back. I believe I have what it takes to take on our current top man, who won silver in Athens."
Lippek was introduced to the sport by Mike Patrick at Warrington Canoe Club five years ago, progressing to become British Open junior 16 champion and finish first in the under 16s event at the Euro-Olympiques in 2005.
He was the highest-placed Great Britain athlete as he finished 35th at the 2006 Junior World Championships and also finished 28th at the Junior European Championships in the same year.
Lippek also competed in this year's Junior European Championships, which were held in the Polish city of Krakow in August, but a penalty in the semi finals meant he finished 25th after originally qualifying ninth.
Financial concerns have forced Lippek to consider taking on two full-time jobs to fund necessary training in Europe, while he is also struggling to juggle work commitments and travel to Nottingham for training twice a week.
Anyone able to help Lippek in terms of sponsorship can e-mail him at qwanton@gmail.com.