Nerves flutter as Tame gains Rio berth

Lachlan Tame, Ken Wallace, Murray Stewart and Jake Clear have secured Olympic berth nominations by winning the national K4 1000 canoe sprint title.

Lachlan Tame overcame nervous vomiting to join Olympic gold medallists Ken Wallace, Murray Stewart and Jake Clear in securing men's K4 1000 crew berths for the Rio Games.

The 27-year-old NSW paddler will head to his first Olympics after the quartet won the men's K4 1000 title at the national canoe sprint championships in Perth on Wednesday, earning nomination for the Australian team.

Tame revealed he had a severe attack of nerves beforehand.

"I went to the toilet five teams and I spewed up just before the race, but I didn't tell these guys that," Tame said.

"I had to walk down to Kenny before the race and tell him to keep talking, don't let my mind wander.

"I'm stoked to be with three great paddlers, and to be part of a great team with all the young blokes."

Only Stewart and Clear remain from the K4 combination that won Olympic gold in London four years ago, with David Smith injured and Tate Smith serving a ban for a positive drugs test.

But Stewart believes the new combination has what it takes.

"I'm really excited about what this boat can do," said Stewart. "We're a new crew, and that's two good races now.

"There's a little bit to go, but it's going well. We're developing a race plan, we haven't quite nailed it yet but we're working on a formula.

"We can see where we want to be, we know what we want to do."

Wallace, who won gold in the K1 500 in Beijing 2008, is set to go to his third Olympics.

"I think it will sink in on Sunday afternoon after our last race," said Wallace. "It doesn't get any less exciting."

Clear is also set for this third Olympics.

Tame and Wallace have also get their sights set on qualifying in the K2 1000 event, a race in which they have won silver medals at the past two world championships.

And Stewart is hoping to qualify as Australia's paddler in the K1 1000, which he also competed in at the London Olympics.


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Source: AAP



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