Randburg resident and canoeist, Matthew van der Merwe (9), excelled at the South African Schools Sprint Canoeing Championships which were held at Stompdrift Dam in De Rust, Eastern Cape, on the weekend of 1 – 3 May.
Van der Merwe took third place in the U10 category after competing in races ranging from 200m to 5 000m. He accumulated 62 points for his finish positions in the various races, while his competitors, who finished ahead of him on points, earned 64 and 76 points respectively.
Sprints is recognised as the most important canoeing discipline, as it is the main Olympic discipline and juniors throughout South Africa compete in various distances of 200m, 500m, 1 000m, and 5 000m to accumulate points throughout the year.
Another canoeist also from Randburg, Jaydon Hunt, was the third-place podium winner in the U12 category.
Both young paddlers also took part in the Gauteng Marathon Championships on 10 and 11 May where they won first place in their respective age groups. They will continue to train for the SA Marathon Championships which will take place in June in Benoni, and will be wearing Gauteng Canoe Union colours.
