Day Two report from Drakensberg
Challenge
Underberg – Ant Stott scooped a record-breaking sixth victory in the Drakensberg Challenge canoe marathon at the
end of a thrilling ding-dong battle with defending champion Len Jenkins on
Sunday.
Stott seized a fleeting opportunity at Heaven and Hell rapid to put space
between himself and Jenkins on the full and flowing Umzimkulu river to win
by forty seconds.
"We worked together at
the beginning but when we got to Heaven and Hell I took a better line and
managed to get ahead," said Stott.
The much anticipated
challenge from the chasing group of Gauteng teenager Grant van der Walt and Hank McGregor
evaporated when McGregor broke his boat at Taylor's Weir fifteen minutes
from the start of the final stage leaving Van der Walt to try and hunt
down the two leaders on his own.
His brave solo challenge
came tantalisingly close and he was happy to settle for third place and the
last spot on the podium. His younger brother Brandon Van der Walt also
enjoyed a flawless race finishing seventh overall and first junior.
"Glenhaven was bigger
than I expected!" said Stott. "Grant (Van der Walt) was the man of the hour,
he made up so much distance today!" said Stott.
"Well done to Ant (Stott)
for today!" said Jenkins. We worked together most of the way and then my
boat started taking on some water and then Ant (Stott) just got ahead."
"I had a really good
day!" said Van der Walt. "But when Hank (McGregor) broke at Taylor's
Weir I had to just go at it alone. I tried to gain on them, but didn't manage
to get close enough," added Van der Walt. "But overall the water was great,
I had no damage to by boat and no swims!"
The women's race was
laced with drama as the trio of Robyn Kime, Carol Joyce and Michele Eray
provided a riveting spectacle over the thirty-eight kilometre final stage,
which was raced on a full river after heavy over night thunderstorms,
in sharp contrast to the boney first stage.
Joyce fell off the front
bunch after a swim at Taylor's Weir shortly after the start followed by
another silly swim on the outskirts of Underberg. Robyn Kime's challenge for the
title ended when she capsized at the Underberg Weir and her chances of
recovering well enough to contest the title ended with a horrific swim
down the wild Glenhaven rapid.
The win for the ecstatic
Eray capped a highly competitive race featuring the strongest women's field
assembled for many years. Eray, the reigning Dubai Shamaal champion and one
of the stars of the South African sprint team at the Beijing Olympics came
into the race under prepared, recovering from tendon surgery to her forearm.
"I had a jol hey!" said
Eray. "I had plans to sit behind Carol and get her to show me the river, but
she swam at Underberg so I went into the gorge lonesome ownsome!" laughed
Eray. "It's great here and I'm surprised I've never been here before! I'll
definitely be back next year!" said Eray.
"I had two swims today,
one at Glenhaven and then again at Underberg Weir," said Kime. "Carol
(Joyce) caught me at Glenhaven and then we worked together the rest of the
way until I broke away a bit at the end." said Kime. "I'd love to come up
here every weekend!" said Kime.
"Unfortunately it wasn't
a good day for me!" said Joyce. "I would have preferred to have done two
stages of day one." "I had two silly swims twenty minutes in to the race at
Taylor's Weir and some place nearby! But it was not a bad result overall."
The big field of eight
hundred and eight paddlers enjoyed two days of clear hot Southern
Drakensberg weather and an Umzimkulu River that varied from frustratingly
low on the first stage to wild waves and holes on the final stage of the race.
ENDS
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
DRAKENSBERG CHALLENGE
1.Ant Stott 03:50:19
2.Len Jenkins 03:51:00
3.Grant van der Walt 03:51:10
4.Greg Louw 03:59:11
5.Jacques Theron 03:59:16
6.Piers Cruickshanks 04:02:22
7.Brandon van der Walt 04:02:32
8.Ryan Louw 04:04:18
9.Michael Arthur 04:06:43
10.Murray Burgess 04:06:47
Women:
1.Michele Eray 04:20:57
2.Robyn Kime 04:23:54
3.Carol Joyce 04:24:31
4.Hilary Pitchford 04:33:50
5.Danica Vorster 04:35:29
6.Jen Hodson 04:36:47
7.Abie Adie 04:37:06
8.Michelle Eder 04:40:22
9.Tamika Haw 04:44:05
10.Tiffany Kruger 04:46:20
