St Francis Bay -Andy Birkett and Brigitte Hartley both successfully defended their national K1 titles, but in sharply contrasting fashion, on the second day of the SA Flatwater Marathon Canoeing Championships on the canals of St Francis.
Birkett used his patience and guile to outwit the bravado if Jasper Mocké, while Hartley played her cards right to win a four boat dice for the women’s title.
The first half of the men’s K1 title race belonged to the heroics of Jasper Mocké, who stunned the race by bolting away on a solo charge right from the gun, and by halfway he had ground out a substantial one minute lead over Birkett and Stu MacLaren.
For a while it seemed his heroic attempt to wrestle control of the race away from the world number two may have worked, but an unflappable Birkett reeled him in with two laps to go, and in the process shrugged off the challenge from MacLaren.
When it came down to the end-sprint Birkett was in total control of the race and kept a tired Euro Steel team mate Mocké at bay, both of them securing the prized spots in the national team to the world champs in Portugal in September.
“It feels fantastic to win such a tight, competitive race,” said Birkett.
MacLaren had to be content with a bridesmaid role once again, third behind Mocké.
“I have got so many thirds at this event, it is frightening,” he said. “But it was a treat to be involved racing around two world class athletes.”
The women’s decided in almost the exact opposite set of race tactics. Hartley was part of a four boat drive at the front of the race with Jenna Ward, Hayley Nixon and Bianca Beavitt.
They stated together through the six laps and portages until the final short lap into the finish. Nixon fell out of contention, leaving the podium to the other three, but the two spots in the national team were quickly settled when Hartley put down the hammer and only Ward could stay with her, and was happy to settle for silver alongside Hartley’s back-to-back gold medal.
“I remember getting a distant seventh at my first SA Marathon Champs, so being able to win here, against this strong a field, feels very good,” said Hartley.
“It was very fast out there, and reflects the high standard of women’s paddling in South Africa at the moment,” she added.
More information can be found at www.canoesa.org.za
SUMMARY OF RESULTS – SOUTH AFRICAN CANOE MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS (Day Two)
SENIOR MEN
1 Andy Birkett 2:21:25.78
2 Jasper Mocke 2:21:26.91
3 Stuart Maclaren 2:23:41.60
4 Clinton Cook 2:31:47.06
5 Alan Houston 2:31:50.57
6 Luke Mcnish 2:38:37.26
7 Loveday Zondi 2:38:42.08
8 Phineas Zulu 2:38:43.15
9 Richard Cele 2:39:02.21
10 Katiso Hlahatsi 2:59:06.37
SENIOR WOMEN
1 Bridgitte Hartley 2:15:50.54
2 Jenna Ward 2:15:51.41
3 Bianca Beavitt 2:15:58.70
4 Hayley Nixon 2:16:05.06
5 Jane Swarbreck 2:20:02.32
6 Jessica Pollock 2:36:29.57
MASTER CLASSES
SUB-VET WOMEN
1 Melissa Van Rooyen 1:45:52.60
2 Debbie Gillet 1:46:17.44
3 Kirstin Scott 1:47:49.86
VETERAN WOMEN
1 Lyn Bennett 1:53:16.51
2 Cathy De Villiers 2:02:52.92
3 Caroline Filmalter 2:14:35.29
SUB-MASTER WOMEN
1 Sarah Evans 1:53:05.00
2 Ronel Stevens 1:58:22.51
MASTER WOMEN
1 Lis Hart 1:46:49.87
2 Helen Wood 1:49:26.90
SUB-GRAND MASTER WOMEN
1 Hilde Lapere 1:23:55.34
2 Liz Russell 1:28:00.99
GRAND MASTER WOMEN
1 Cally (Caroline) Henderson 1:46:52.66
SUB GREAT GRAND MASTER WOMEN
1 Beth Burton 1:26:48.69
SUB-VETERAN MEN
1 Wayne Jacobs 1:50:11.80
2 Alex Roberts 1:52:38.46
3 Heinrich Schloms 1:52:39.09
VETERAN MEN
1 Ant Stott 1:48:37.78
2 Ernest Van Riet 1:53:05.86
3 Anthony Wostenholm 1:53:15.36
SUB-MASTER MEN
1 Jason Ekstrand 1:53:09.62
2 Anthony Rowan 1:53:10.12
3 Gustav Radloff 1:53:12.44
MASTER MEN
1 Rob Hart 1:52:37.16
2 Gustav Smook 1:59:02.24
3 Mark Handley 2:04:36.31
SUB-GRAND MASTER MEN
1 Andrew Carter 1:32:34.56
2 Colin Wilson 1:34:01.93
3 Linton Hope 1:34:02.91
GRAND MASTER MEN
1 Rob Welsh 1:32:56.91
2 Colin Simpkins 1:32:58.26
3 Pierre Van Der Merwe 1:32:59.13
SUB-GREAT GREAT GRAND MASTER
1 Allan Hold 1:41:59.95
2 Peter Oconnor 1:43:12.99
3 Geoff Thompson 1:45:44.23
GREAT GREAT GRAN MASTERS
1 Brian Longley 1:42:00.70
2 Bevin Worlock 1:55:00.91
SUB-GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND MASTER
1 Willem Deyzel 1:56:21.22
2 Jannie Malherbe 2:10:54.47
3 Mike Howard 2:33:46.14
GIRLS U14 K2
1 Tinyiko Mahwayi Thembelihle Jokozela 1:27:06.27
2 Taya Hope Hanton Kyla Dawn Hanton 1:28:31.72
3 Helen Jansen Van Vuuren Sisanda Mthabela 1:30:24.44
GIRLS U18 & U16 K2
1 Caitlin Mackenzie/Zara Wood 1:32:30.59
2 Amy Peckett/Cayleigh Shaw 1:33:52.97
3 Melonie Croeser/Georgina Howard 1:41:53.54
BOYS U14 K2
1 Finlay Leask/Matthew J Privett 1:09:41.94
2 Eugon Williams/Joshua Erasmus 1:14:06.65
3 Banele Khanyile/Fanele Mkhunya 1:14:08.12
BOYS U18 & U16 K2
1 Ulvard Hart/Matthew Fenn 1:40:37.77
2 Hamish Mackenzie/David Evans 1:40:40.16
3 Sibusiso Chwayi/Zanentlantla Mbala 1:45:06.30
GUPPY U8
1 Jarryd Cole 0:11:00.31
2 Heath O’Connor 0:11:31.28
3 Blake Connellan 0:12:00.40
GUPPY GIRLS U10
1 Emma Privett 0:30:06.83
2 Amy Clarke 0:30:18.28
3 Okuhle Ngcobo 0:32:24.16
GUPPYS U10
1 Michael R Smith 0:26:46.26
2 Josh Worthmann 0:26:54.23
3 Luke Wilson 0:27:03.66
GUPPY GIRLS U12
1 Holly Smith 0:32:20.78
2 Abby Raymer 0:32:31.83
3 Yolanda Ngcobo 0:33:15.43
GUPPY BOYS U12
1 Kevin Khanyile 0:31:04.47
2 Seluleko Gcwensa 0:31:05.02
3 Theo Dreyer 0:31:05.49