Coast's Olympic kayaker battles illness
- Jon Tuxworth
- 7th August 2008
Olympic kayaker Clint Robinson.
A FEW months ago, sickness nearly cost Clint Robinson a fifth Olympic campaign.
Now that he's safely in Beijing, illness has reared its ugly head again.
Media reports emerged early on Tuesday morning that the legendary kayaker had been forced to miss two training sessions with his K4 1000m team after contracting a minor ailment.
However, it is not expected to jeopardise Robinson's chances of competing in that event and the K2 500m when the kayaking schedule gets under way in the second week of the Games.
"He's just got a tickle," team director Richard Fox said.
"He's just resting up at home. You know what Clint is like - he doesn't take chances with these kind of things."
The Maroochydore star's absence from the Shinya rowing course meant his K2 partner Jake Clear stepped up to assist the remaining members of the K4 crew, Dave Smith, Tony Schumacher and Tate Smith, in a two-hour training session.
Robinson missed the Olympic nomination trials at Penrith in March due to a severe respiratory tract infection, putting his Games selection hopes squarely in the hands of the selectors.
A relieved Robinson received the good news about his selection just a couple of days later, but had to sit through a number of appeals from Sydney's Luke Michael, disgruntled at being overlooked for the team.
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