OLYMPIC CANOE, KAYAK TRIALS TO BE AT FREDERICKTOWN

Whitewater competitors hope to paddle their way to victory next March on Southeast Missouri's roaring St. Francis River and possible spots on the U.S. Olympic canoe and kayak team.

The Fredericktown area will host the Midcontinent trials, one of the "Final Four" sites. The winners will compete in final trials April 6 through 9 on the Ocoee River in Tennessee for the right to represent the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sidney, Australia.

The other Final Four sites are in California, Texas and North Carolina.

The Midcontinent event will be held on the St. Francis River near Fredericktown, about 50 miles northwest of Cape Girardeau.

Thousands are expected to attend the event, which will be held in conjunction with the annual Missouri Whitewater Championships along the slalom river route at the Millstream Gardens Conservation Area.

Officials with the U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team announced the selection of the Madison County site at press conferences Thursday in Cape Girardeau and St. Louis.

Mike Sloan, chairman of the National Whitewater Slalom Committee, praised Missouri's bid.

Sloan, based in Washington, D.C., said the state and the Fredericktown area convinced the national organization that it could host the event. The St. Francis River site has hosted the state competition for 32 years. Sloan said that experience was a factor in the decision.

"There has been a lot of growth in the sport of paddling in Missouri," he said.

Bob Smith, director of special events for the Missouri Division of Tourism, said the state is thrilled to host the event.

"It fits right in with our motto, `Missouri -- Where the Rivers Run," he said.

Fredericktown Mayor Phillip Wulfert said, "We are kind of excited about this." Wulfert said the competition could bring in 100 to 125 Whitewater competitors and as many as 5,000 spectators.

That is more than the population of Fredericktown, home to about 4,000 people.

The Missouri Whitewater Association's Dave Kovar said luring the Olympic trials was a labor of love for his members.

The group has about 400 members ranging from recreational to competitive paddlers.

Kovar said Whitewater events are entertaining. "This is a fast-paced, racer-against-the-river rush," he said. "It takes enormous talent, feel, strength and experience.

"You will be seeing some of the best athletes in the nation," he said.