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And, just as soon as it started, it has ended.
Another four-year wait for the next one.
Those frogs certainly know how to put on a bash.
It was fantastic how they incorporated so many stunning landmarks and historical buildings into the programs for the various sports.
The finish of the cycle race and the marathon were especially spectacular.
The Olympic experience for our sprinters was a mixed bag.
Esti and Tiffany would certainly have liked to progress further than they did, both in the K1 and the K2 (but, I suspect more so in the K1).
However, the standard of competition is extremely high, with our athletes competing against paddlers from countries with a canoeing budget that is almost equal to the total of what is made available to all of our sports added together.
Our male marathon experts, on the other hand, punched well above their fighting weight, especially Hamish, who left the commentator speechless with an emphatic win in the B final. His time would have placed him fourth in the A final, just one spot shy of an Olympic medal.
The K2 result, with Andy, in the B final was also not an embarrassment.
One wonders what could have been accomplished with a 4-, or 8-year build up, instead of four months.
Hopefully their accomplishments will allow a host of youngsters to appreciate that the top paddlers in the world are not super humans, and that with some dedication anything is possible. Roll on Los Angeles in 2028.
The sprinting, especially the team boats, was hugely exciting to watch. The sight of a K4 in full flight is a beautiful thing.
Just as exciting, if not more so, was the slalom.
Although we did not have any paddlers competing, the sublime skill levels and fitness of the competitors was breathtaking.
The new discipline of Kayak Cross made its debut at the games. It proved to be very well received by both paddlers and spectators alike.
The discipline is seeing a revival in SA, under the leadership of the new slalom committee there are a number of events planned over the forthcoming season, so hopefully we might see the SA flag alongside the course in LA.
On the local scene, there are a number of river races on the calendar. In KZN, the long standing Jock Claasens race will take place on Sunday.
The Western Cape has had some record rainfall, which augurs well for the Breede on the September 7-8.
While on the subject of the calendar, there have been a number of changes, due to the cancellation of the Fish.
The Liebenbergsvlei race has now moved to the weekend of the Fish (Sept 28-29), while the Orange Descent (November 9-10) will take over as the SA K1 river championships. |
