On the final day of racing at the 2019 Africa Games, Team South Africa produced another dominant day on the water of the Dayet Erroumi regatta course outside Rabat when they bagged all four gold medals that were on offer on Friday.
The morning started with 200m ace Chrisjan Coetzee cruising through his heat directly into the final and that was followed up by Coetzee teaming up with Jarryd Gibson to win the men’s 200m K2 heat comfortably.
The first medal of the day went to Esti van Tonder who powered home to win the women’s K1 200m race and claim her third gold medal of the competition to go with her 500m K1 gold and 500m K4 gold she won on Thursday.
“I am really happy with how things have gone over the last three days,” the triple gold medallist Van Tonder said. “It is nothing close to Worlds but it comes with its own set of challenges.
“I wanted to put down a few more good races before my season comes to an end and I felt like I did that here and it was a an experience that I will never forget.
“Regardless of where you are it is always great to stand up on a podium and sing your national anthem.”
Coetzee then bagged his second gold medal of the competition when he was crowned African champion in the men’s K1 200m race.
In the women’s K2 200m race Bridgitte Hartley and Donna Hutton also continued their dominance when they won their second gold medal as a combination. They powered to victory by nearly three seconds over the Tunisian pair.
In Team South Africa’s final race of the competition Chrisjan Coetzee and Jarryd Gibson lined up in the men’s K2 200m race. They completed the team’s second consecutive gold medal wipe out when they cantered to victory.
The four gold medals on Friday go along with the four golds from Thursday’s action and the gold and silver that the team won on Wednesday.
The medal haul from the paddlers was 10 in total with nine golds and a silver.
The 2019 Africa Games come to a close on Saturday with the closing ceremony in Rabat.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
WOMEN’S K2 200m
1.Bridgitte Hartley/Donna Hutton (RSA) 40.65
2.Afef Ben Ismail/Khaoula Sassi (TUN) 43.19
3.Farah Mohamed/Samaa Ahmed (EGY) 45.81
MEN’S K1 200m
1.Chrisjan Coetzee (RSA) 34.10
2.Mohamed Ali Mrabet (TUN) 35.70
3.Ali Ahmed (EGY) 36.94
WOMEN’S K1 200m
1.Esti van Tonder (RSA) 42.18
2.Khaoula Sassi (TUN) 44.06
3.Samaa Ahmed (EGY) 46.81
MEN’S K2 200m
1.Chrisjan Coetzee/Jarryd Gibson 31.93
2.Momen Mahran/Ali Ahmed (EGY) 33.56
3.Outail Khatali/Mohamed Ali Mrabet (TUN) 33.77