As the times ticks down until his shot at Paralympic qualification, you might expect Mike Ballard to be showing some strain.
Races in his discipline at the ICF Paracanoe World Cup will last less than a minute. The top two finishers in Thursday’s two heats will advance to the final.
Those placing third to sixth will get a second shot at reaching the final, from where those heading to the Tokyo Games will be decided. The rest go home with nothing.
If he is feeling the stress, Ballard has a funny way of showing it. The American kayaker could scarcely seem any more laid back.
“Everything is so far out of my control, there is nothing I can do,” Ballard said from his temporary base at a wakeboard park in Szeged, Hungary.
“All I can do is race. That sounds like a coaching cliché, but that is how it is. It is not like you can play defence in this sport.
“Everyone is doing their own stuff. It is relaxed. That is why I joined this sport.
“I can’t control what the other guys do, or even who turns up to this tournament. And, of the guys who have turned up, how have they been training?
“I’m happy with what I have put in so far. I’d be less chilled if my boat wasn’t running so well, but I have settled into the new boat, so I’m happy.”
Although the organisers have announced more than 130 competitors, in various classifications, will be in Hungary this week for the World Cup, it remains unclear precisely who they will be.
Some already booked their places for Tokyo before the pandemic, so are not obliged to attend the World Cup.
They still might, though, both for competition – which has been scarce given the health crisis – and also as part of the process that determines seeding for the Games.
“We are very excited to see so many countries and so many athletes all vying for a place at this year’s Tokyo Paralympic Games,” John Edwards, the ICF paracanoe committee chairman, was quoted as saying.
“It is a wonderful boost for our sport, especially after such a difficult period globally where so many athletes have struggled to train and have really missed the opportunity to compete.
“What will be particularly exciting is to see just how much our sport has grown since Rio. Times are much faster, athletes are stronger, and, most importantly, we are going to see new countries represented.”
Ballard, for his part, has been grateful for an extended lead in to the competition. He arrived two weeks ahead of Thursday’s heats.
That gave him time to acclimatise from the heat of Abu Dhabi, as well as to get used to his new racing boat, and to simulate some of the training which is not possible on the water of the Arabian Gulf.
Tuesday afternoon, for example, included two hours spent synchronising setting off from the electronic start gates which will be in use at the World Cup.
“More and more people have been coming onto the course in recent days," he said of his training.
"I was paddling slowly down my lane, and an able-bodied guy came up on my left and passed me, doing a quick sprint.
“When it got to the point I did my start, and paddled quick, I passed the able-bodied guy. That was a new thing, and something tangible [to show he was making progress in his new boat].”
Until the back injury he sustained in 2014, Ballard’s sports of choice had been team games like baseball and rugby.
Even though his focus is now individual, he says he still appreciates the camaraderie of the kayak community.
“It is a good vibe. There is not really a scenario where a kayaker talks trash to another kayaker,” Ballard said.
“If you are ever getting in or out of your boat and there are another team there, they will always help you if you needed help. There is no sort of animosity. It is a very chilled out thing."
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
Company%20Profile
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
