McGregor settles scores at SA Champs

HANK McGregor evened the scores with Andy Birkett on the final day of the SA Flatwater Marathon Canoeing Championships when he and his partner Jasper Mocké prevailed to win the men's K2 title in a tense end sprint with Birkett and Jean van der Westhuyzen.

In a thrilling climax to the two days of marathon racing, the men's title decider was a fitting and exciting end to the competition as the race whittled down to four boats turning together for the finish line at the end of the 30km, eight lap race.

While Brandon van der Walt and Clint Cook brought up the back of the bunch, Cape racers Stu Maclaren and Nick Notten Challenged valiantly, but in the end the overall title was decided by the sheer consistent power of McGregor and Mocké.

The women's race was underscored by drama throughout. Jenna Ward and Nikki Russell looked to have fallen off the front trio of boats and out of contention before they started a grim-faced fightback in the second half of the race.

Technical issues with Hayley Nixon and Michelle Burns rudder saw them fall right back, and at one stage the crew of Bridgitte Hartley and Kyeta Purchase put their paddles down and looked to have surrendered their contest, resulting in a constant reshuffling of the leaderboard.

Ward and Russell kept their composure and ground back to the front, taking full advantage of the series of incidents and drama, and went on to win the title and complete a fairy tale comeback win.

Behind them Nixon and Burn were locked in a tense tussle with Bridgitte Hartley and Kyeta Purchase for the silver medal, and importantly, the last place in the SA Team to the World Championships next month.

The two craft collided at the take-out for the last portage, resulting in Nixon and Burn capsizing. Hartley and Purchase duly took second place, but the crowd had to wait more than an hour as a protest was lodged and then a counter appeal was heard. In the end the race jury decided that the race result should stand.

In the Junior races, the hotly fancied crew of Alex Masina and Stuart Little was another casualty of understern rudder damage, leaving the door open for Callam Davis and Hamish Lovemore to take the gold, making up for Davis' disappointment from Saturday, with the never-say-die U16 crew of David Evans and Hamish Mackenzie finishing second and booking their berth in the national boys team.

In the junior girls race there was a carbon copy result as the clear favourites Christie Mackenzie and Sabina Lawrie took the gold, but had to work hard to down the challenge from her cousin Caitlin Mackenzie and fellow Epworth U16 paddler Amy Peckett.