In soaring heat, high humidity, heavy rain and a tropical thunderstorm, members of the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club struggled to represent the United Sates in the World Marathon Canoe and Kayak Championships in Singapore from October 19-22.

John Depalma finished 24th in a field of 40 K-1 paddlers from Europe, Australia, South Africa and Asia.

"Europe dominated most races with heavy influence fom Australia and South Africa," said Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club member Mike McCoy. "But the Lanier team showed that the U.S. is steadily progressing toward being a team to be accounted for."

Macy Dwyer finished eighth among women under 23 in the K-1 and Morgan Smith followed her closely by 1 second in ninth place. Most of their race was conducted in a severe downpour and high temperatures.

Junior paddlers Aaron Mullican and Stanon Collins competed in the K-1 with Mullican placing 18th in a field of 25. Collins did not finish due to problems with his boat and exhaustion from the heat.

The U.S. hung on to ninth place in the Senior Women’s K-2 event. Alex McLain and Anne Blanchard outlasted a field in which more than a third of the paddlers quit the race before the finish, including one South African paddler who was taken to a local hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion.