LA Lucia resident Kyeta Purchase got the South African charge off to a positive start at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany on Friday when she won the bronze medal in the K1 Junior Girls race while Mt Edgecombe’s Jenna Ward put in a brave effort to finish fourth in the K1 U23 women’s race.
Having raced to fourth place at her first ever appearance at a Marathon World Championships in Hungary last year, Purchase charged home to maiden Worlds marathon medal this time around, finishing behind Hungarians, Noémi Pupp and Viktória Nagy.
Purchase headed into the clash aiming to medal – no matter what the colour – and she was happy that she was able to get the job done.
“Last year wasn’t a great World Championships for me so I have been working really hard to improve going into this year and to get a medal means that that hard work has paid off,” said Purchase.
“I messed up on the last portage which cost me a bit of time and I also lacked a bit of pace on the Hungarian girls which was a bit frustrating, but to win a medal is such an incredible feeling and I am really happy,” said the Our Lady of Fatima pupil.
In the U23 women’s race, Jenna Ward had the hard task of taking on two of the strongest paddlers in the age category – Sara Anna Mihalik and Ward’s very own FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon partner, Vanda Kisli – as well as Belgium’s 2016 Olympian, Hermian Peters.
Despite giving it her all and having been in the race for gold up until the second last lap, the split in the lead four relegated the Durban star to the fight for bronze, a battle she ultimately lost out in in an end sprint for the line with Peters.
“I am obviously a little bit disappointed with fourth place but I couldn’t have done anything different or better and the other girls were just that much stronger than we so congratulations to them!” said Ward who previously claimed bronze in the same event in both 2014 and 2015.
The pressure from the Hungarian pair of Kisli and Mihalik was telling as Ward and the Belgian Peters battled to keep up the pace.
Once the leading pair got away, Peters – who early made a title race ending mistake on the portage – caught Ward and a fascinating fight for third place ensued.
“The intervals on the front were really tough and I knew that I had to try and hang in there for as long as possible.
“Their speed was too quick for me though and although I didn’t get the result I wanted, I couldn’t have done anything differently so I am quite happy,” Ward added.
