LISTEN-Durban North’s Mackenzie clinches 2nd place in Dusi
Mackenzie competed in this year's Dusi with Olympic medallist, Bridgette Hartley.
DURBAN North resident Christie Mackenzie put in a special effort to finish in second place in this year’s FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon. Mackenzie and her K2 partner, Olympic medallist Bridgitte Hartley finished minutes behind sisters and overall winners of the women’s race, Cana and Jordan Peek, a debut Dusi title for the pair.
There was a sense of déjà vu for the former Our Lady of Fatima pupil, Mackenzie, who also placed second at last year’s race.
In dramatic fashion, Bridgitte Hartley’s ghosts of 2017 came back to haunt her, this time on the top of Burma Road as she took immense strain leaving her Varsity College partner Mackenzie to carry the boat to the put in on the other side of the portage.
After such a telling blow Jenna Ward and Vanda Kiszli might have thought second place was a formality, however Mackenzie and Hartley put in a tremendous surge to put themselves back into contention and then overhauled Ward and Kiszli in an end sprint to take second.
“That was the toughest day of racing I have ever done in my life,” the Varsity College Durban North student said.
What a sprint for second and third in the ladies race!! Hartley/Mackenzie win the end sprint over Ward/Kiszli pic.twitter.com/ZRc7UncoBs
— Dusi Canoe Marathon (@DusiCanoe) February 17, 2018
Here is what else the pair had to say:
https://soundcloud.com/gameplanmedia/d3bridgittechriste
In the much-anticipated men’s race, Hank McGregor and Andy Birkett won the title ahead of Carl Folscher and Adrian Boros and third place finishers, Sbonelo Khwesa and Siseko Ntondini.
“I’m just so relieved that we managed to pull this one off,” McGregor said, with his son Thorston lofted on his shoulders. “That was the goal and we achieved it. When you know that it is in the bag it gets really hard because the adrenaline rush wears off, but then you get pumped up when you hear the crowd and I am really stoked to get here and pull this off with a close mate and a fantastic partner. To do it in front of my family and my boy and to see my dad, my mom and my wife along the way – I’m really stoked.”
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