Ankle injury puts Birkett out of Non-Stop Dusi race
Dusi winner, Birkett will not competing in this Friday's Non-Stop Dusi.
Despite his second K1 Dusi victory, Andy Birkett has opted not to tackle the upcoming Non-Stop Dusi on Friday, 6 March in an attempt to give an injured ankle time to recover.
Birkett completed the tough three-day Dusi Canoe Marathon with his right ankle heavily strapped up, and wants to give his ankle time to heal ahead of a busy 2015 schedule which culminates in the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships.
The former U23 Marathon World Champion said that he was content to give the 2015 Non-Stop Dusi a miss, but added that he would still be out on course to provide race support to friends who have been loyal seconds to him in recent years.
Birkett also added that the competitive side of the race is shifting and that more and more titles would be won by K1 paddlers, in a race that traditionally has been tackled by elite K2 combinations.
“It is a much easier race to do in a K1 – just look at how similar the times are between the top K1 and K2 boats in similar conditions.”
He added, “When you blow – and you do blow on the Non-Stop – it is easier to get through it and get back to racing by yourself. If you are in a double you tend to rely on your partner to pull you through. That takes a lot of effort and so often results in the partner blowing as well, and it lands up being a long day.”
For Birkett though, 2015’s busy calendar requires a carefully prepared plan that builds towards the national marathon trials and, hopefully, a spot in the senior men’s K1 team to the world title decider in Gyor, Hungary in September.
Birkett also confirmed that he will include the tough four-day Berg River Canoe Marathon in his preparations, after his 2014 maiden outing and eventual victory provided an excellent base for the international marathon racing challenges.
In the short-term though, Birkett’s top priority remains treating his injured ankle and giving it enough time to recover fully.
“I run barefoot during the marathon races and I need the ankle to be back to full strength.”
The Non-Stop Dusi takes place from Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg to Blue Lagoon in Durban on Friday, 6 March. More information can be found at www.nonstopdusi.co.za.
