John ‘Mr Slalom’ Gregory - The ultimate paddlesports fan
Video interview: Nicolaas Harding | Writer: Alyce Burnett | Video edit: Gijs Takken
Dubbed as the ultimate paddlesports fan, John ‘Mr Slalom’ Gregory has revolutionised the way canoeing is viewed. His brilliant mind for canoe slalom statistics and rare ability to write fast, entertaining and informative copy combined with a lifetime's knowledge of the sport has placed him at the forefront of his field, landing him as a finalist for the Media Ambassador of the year at the World Paddle Awards.
As a Coach, Blogger, Presenter, Commentator, Journalist and Marketing Communications professional, John has become the envy of many major media outlets as his slalom results and daily news blog, unofficialolympiccanoeslalom, became one of the most browsed canoe sites over the two weeks of the London Olympic Games.
His passion and knowledge for the sport shone through as he reminisced of the great sporting moments the town of Augsburg, where the World Paddle Awards were hosted, had produced.
“Many people think that Augsburg is about the 1972 Olympics, maybe not appreciating that actually the World Championships were in Augsburg in 1957 starting above the main sluice and running down what was an original ice canal which was then redeveloped for the ’72 Olympics, Gregory said.
“I mean you’re talking about 600m course, 224 seconds which is just unheard of now. Then of course there were the 1985 World Championships, and then we came back in 2003. I was here to watch Fabian Lefevre successfully defend his world championships title that he won the year before in K1. There’s such deep heritage and history, particularly in canoe slalom, but I think in other paddle sports as well. I mean it's fabulous place to be.”
As the sport evolves, new names appear and history continues to be rewritten, John Gregory’s passion for canoe clalom is as strong as ever. After a big year of competition last year it was none other than Jessica Fox of Australia that sprung to mind when asked what his highlight was.
“I have been watching Jess Fox for many years now, going back to the Warsaw World Championships as a Junior in 2012 when she won the Junior World Championships coming into the London Olympics. She’s just gone from strength to strength,” he said.
“I mean the fact that she is winning new milestones in terms of either Junior or U23, both in C1 and K1 is remarkable. She then did the same at the Deep Creek World Championships, which is kind of spectacular. But I think more than anything else it is the margin she’s winning by.”
Inspired by so many of his fellow nominees and World Paddle Awards guests including Eric Jackson and Great Britain’s para-canoeists, Mr Gregory said you just feel wonderful to be apart of such an amazingly energetic group. Though it can be argued that John Gregory himself creates this energy, as his dedication and enthusiasm to ensuring the future success of this sport is unrivalled.