Ed McKeever: Still Waters Running Deep

Having recently added a World Championship victory to the European crown he secured back in July, Ed McKeever is undoubtedly the man to beat over 200 metres in a single-seat kayak. However, though he has firmly imposed his presence on the pedestal of his sport over the past year, there is no chance of hearing the 27 year-old from Bradford on Avon brag or boast.

For a start, his manner is quieter than the sleepy town in Wiltshire where he grew up. Regardless of his mounting success on the water, arrogance is a concept that will not infiltrate his character.

Admitting that he is “not really the media type,” McKeever’s softly spoken demeanour seems utterly at odds with the thick forearms and immense shoulders that have propelled him to wide renown. The notion of a “strong, silent type” could have been concocted especially for him.

Indeed, when discussing how he got started in canoeing, his undue modesty would suggest that his progress is merely a result of an inevitable, natural progression.

“I went along with a friend to the local canoe club when I was in secondary school,” he explains. “It started out as a little bit of fun when I was just paddling around and it’s eventually got a bit more serious as I’ve become successful.”

As McKeever continues to describe what has been a rather hasty path to national representation with typical understatement, it becomes apparent that his hobby must have got serious very quickly.

“I started sprint canoeing back in 1998 and three years later I represented Great Britain,” he goes on. “Since then I’ve just been progressing through the senior team.”

This first international appearance, at the Junior Sprint World Championships in Brazil, came in a considerably different event to the one that he is currently dominating. Firstly, it was in the K2 category, meaning that he shared a vessel with a teammate. Secondly, and most crucially, it was over the longer distance of a kilometre. A longer course did not wholly suit Mckeever and his proposal that “I would rather leave the thousand in the olden days,” is not entirely jovial.

As he will doubtlessly admit himself, the reduction of the shortest Olympic sprinting event, from five hundred metres down to two hundred, has invigorated McKeever’s career. When the International Olympic Committee announced the amendment last August, the primary aim had been to produce “more spectacular” races. With his powerful frame built perfectly for an explosive outburst of energy, the change has played impeccably into McKeever’s hands.

Tellingly, at the finish line in Poznan, Poland this summer, having just clinched World Championship gold by 0.348 seconds from Germany’s Ronald Rauhe, there were no elaborate speeches of drawn-out gratitude. Instead, McKeever’s abrupt comments spoke sufficient volumes without any fuss. “I am lost for words, really,” said the new champion. “I just want to thank whoever made the two hundred an Olympic discipline.”

It is testament to McKeever’s quiet determination that he is staunchly refusing to be overcome by giddiness on the road to London 2012, though his recent accolades would suggest that a medal should be a certainty. Rather than churn out the well-worn clichés about how fantastic and inspirational the home crowd will be, he prefers to dwell on the shorter-term.

“Next year’s European and World Championships are key markers on the way to the Games,” he calmly explains. “I’ve got to defend them all, as well as perform in the World Cup meetings too.”

“The World Championships doubles up as an Olympic qualifying event. If I fail to meet the standard then, I could qualify through the Europeans. Obviously it’s best to secure it first time out.” There is the self-depreciation again. It is hard to imagine McKeever having too much trouble meeting the requirement.

A degree in accountancy and finance from Kingston University stands as evidence of a firmly grounded approach, even in the midst of a rapid rise to the pinnacle of the kayaking scene. Ever mindful of the fickle threats of injury or a dramatic loss of form, McKeever is a student with Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, through which he has successfully juggled exams with competing. Naturally, he plays down the significance of this professional versatility and admirable foresight.

“It’s a case of just keeping my eye in really, so I’ve got something to fall back on later. Not everyone in sport makes it and it’s nice to have peace of mind. I’ve got a solid maths and business background so it was a logical step. There’s just one exam in December and then it will be all canoeing.”

Equally pragmatic has been McKeever’s move from his native south-west to Buckinghamshire, where the Olympic site at Dorney Lake is on his doorstep. With “less travel time” and “distractions cut out,” it seems the trail is immaculately set on the way to 2012. However, reiterating his abhorrence for complacency, McKeever finishes by shunning the implication that he has stolen a march on his rivals.

“We don’t really have to get used to the exact facilities because all we are doing is canoeing on a lake. It’s just as fast as you can for 200 metres in a straight line and you are done.”

It seems this silent star is intent on letting his paddle do the talking and when McKeever is done after what is sure to be an exciting next couple of years, the world will have heard about his talents.

�

Ed McKeever was appearing for the launch of the Gold Challenge.

Gold Challenge is the official mass participation legacy initiative for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, laucnhed at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Gold Challenge aims to harness the inspiration of the 2012 Games to motivate people in the UK to take up as many Olympic and Paralympic sports as they can.

�