Springs canoeist qualifies for Breede River Race
He and Brandon Head managed to finish second in the sub-master age category.
Johan Nel, a Springs resident qualified for the SA K2 (double canoe) River Championships.
This national championship will take place on the Breede River in the Western Cape on September 6 and 7.
The trials to qualify for the Gauteng team took place on last Saturday at the 22km Florida Lake Canoe Club Klip Race from Daleside to Meyerton.
This race covered a number of tricky and technically difficult rapids, says Jennie Dallas, spokesman of the Gauteng Canoe Union.
As the more experienced canoeist, Nel partnered with Brandon Head for the Gauteng trials, where they despite some challenging situations, managed to finish as the 13th K2 and as second in the sub-master age category with a time of 1 hour 40 minutes.
Dallas says Nel had been in canoe paddling for more than ten years.
Both Nel and Head are members of the Victoria Canoe Club in Germiston.
They have as a team big plans for this year.
Besides the SA K2 Championships on the Breede River during September, the the pair also plan to do the 80km Hansa Fish River Marathon race in October.
This will be held in Cradock, in the Eastern Cape.
