Deborah Kerr hopes new expereinces can lead to future medals

By Will Jennings in Munich Deborah Kerr and Britain's kayak stars believe a gruelling winter on the water can propel them towards a long-awaited podium finish after missing out on a European medal in Munich. Ad Motherwell paddler Kerr joined forces with Emma Russell, Emily Lewis and Rebeka Simon to finish sixth in Sunday's 500m kayak four event as Poland grabbed gold ahead of Denmark and Hungary.

CanoeingKerr hails 'special' partnership at European Championships16 MINUTES AGO Kerr, 24, combined with Russell to finish seventh in the K2 race on Saturday before turning her attention to leading the newly-assembled quartet in Sunday's final, where they crossed the line in 1:38.592 to finish almost a second shy of Hungary and the final podium place at the multi-sport event. The inexperienced crew were unable to win a major medal this season but insist they're only embarking on the beginning of their collective kayaking journey.

Russell, who partnered Kerr to fifth and eighth-places in the K2 and K4 events at this month's World Championships in Canada, said: «It feels really exciting — we've enjoyed some really consistent performances this year and we're just getting started. »We're really looking forward to putting in a lot of work over the winter and doing it all again next year." Kerr added: «I know everyone was absolutely spent by the end of the race, and that’s all we can ask for.