Bronze start for SA at canoe championships

Hattingh clawed his way back onto the lead bunch of three boats, and then dug deep to contest the end-sprint to secure a place on the podium in the under-18 K1 race.

Ward staged a stunning late charge in the women’s u-23 race that saw her rejoin a big group on the final lap.

A well-timed surge going into the last portage saw her put in first and lead the final half lap, and contest the dice for the line, and earn her first world championship medal.

“I can’t really describe what I am feeling,” Ward said.

“Even though it is only a bronze it is like a gold to me. In the bunch of six that I was in at the end I felt that my speed was the weakest.”

The title was won by Hungarian Tamara Takasc, despite erroneously taking a portage on the first lap, which gave her competitors a distinct advantage, and then falling out of her kayak at the put in on another portage.

The men’s u-23 title race proved to be a relentless onslaught as Hungarian ace Balasz Havas engineered a four-boat breakaway from an initial twelve boat lead bunch, and then broke away alone before halfway to win by more than a minute.

Former u-23 world champion Brandon van der Walt found himself in the chasing bunch throughout and had to settle for a ninth place finish, with team-mate Stu MacLaren in 12th.

The six races on the first day of the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships were dominated by paddlers from Hungary and Denmark, who turned the six and seven lap races into a near sprint regatta.

The efforts by the junior and u-23 K1 paddlers follow a successful effort by South African veteran and masters paddlers that bagged 12 medals in the Masters Cup competition, five of them gold.

On Saturday three-times world champion Hank McGregor will set about the defence of his K1 world crown.

– Sapa