Rower surges ahead at SA champs

RUDY Bellengère, a Grade 10 learner at Westville Boys High School and rower at the Durban Rowing Club, competed in the South African National Rowing Championships at Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria on 28 and 29 April.

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Rudy and his doubles rowing partner, Matthew Green, surged ahead to win the gold in their Junior Men U16 Double Scull final, finishing 21 seconds ahead of the next crew.

The following day, Rudy made it through the single scull heats to compete in the final, crossing the line in first place to claim the gold medal and the Barrie-Jon Mulder Shield for being the Junior Men U16 Single Scull champion.

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Rudy’s success at the SA Rowing Champs is a culmination of months of rigorous training, including pre-dawn and after school rowing sessions in the Durban harbour and strength training sessions in the gym.

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