TRAVIS GRANT CLAIMS NATIONAL OUTRIGGER SPRINT TITLE

OUTRIGGER CANOE, February 5, 2011: Currumbin's Travis Grant today confirmed his reputation as Australia's premier outrigger paddler with a convincing win in the AOCRA National Outrigger OC1 500m Sprint Title at Coomera Lake, Regatta Waters at Oxenford.

Grant proved too strong for Outrigger Australia club mate Leo Young to win the six-man final by a convincing four seconds, with V1 500m winner, teenager Mitchell Olds third.

The 28-year-old has emerged as the dominant force in OC1 racing, with victories in the AOCRA OC1 Marathon and Stand Up Paddle titles in Coffs Harbour last November and the OC1 category of the Doctor Festival of Paddling event in Perth last month.

"The sprint championship has always been one race that has eluded me so it is certainly good to finally add the Australian gold medal to the collection," Grant said today.

The Open Women's OC1 500m final saw Brisbane's Kathryn East add the individual title to the OC2 championship she won with Mei Leisa Mocea Tuicolo on day one.

The three-day Championships, which conclude tomorrow, have attracted over 2000 competitors from all over Australia to the Gold Coast