Unseasonally hot spring weather provided an added test for paddlers during the second and final day of the 2017 ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Cup at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.
The last day of competition was just as competitive as the first as paddlers joined up for the K2 races that saw the host nation South Africa dominate the top step of the podium.
The day start in a similar vein to the first for Team South Africa as Allan Hold did the K1 and K2 gold double as he and K1 silver medallist Geoff Thompson combined to take the gold in an exciting end sprint ahead of Andre Hawarden and Rob Maclean while the Denmark/South African combination of Sven Jorgensen and Brian Longley won bronze.
There were no less than nine paddlers that did the double on the second day of competition including Australian C-boat paddler Rain Metsoja, who teamed up with fellow Aussie Roger French to take the C-Boat win.
Once again the exciting racing came at the younger end of the field with the Veterans K2 showdown coming down to a thrilling end sprint that was won by Jacques Theron and Piers Cruickshanks, the gold and silver from the K1 racing.
"This was the first year that I paddled in a Masters Cup and it was awesome," Cruickshanks mentioned.
"Everyone here is in the same position with a job and a family to look after so from that point of view it means that we are starting on the same foot.
"Jacques and I have probably raced in a K2 together as much as we have raced against each other so it is always great to be in a boat with a mate and I absolutely loved it."
The racing continued to be fierce throughout the day and if there was ever a question as to how much a Masters World Cup title meant, the Australian pair of Brett Greenwood and Brett McDonald's reaction to their victory made it clear.
The two men from Down Under were imperious as they powered home to an impressive win in the sub-Masters category ahead of Spain's Francisco Vazquez Radondo and Bernado Sanchez Ouro and the South African/Polish duo of Gustav Smook and Darek Bukowski.
Another dominant showing came from Ant Stott and Wayne Jacobs in the sub-Veteran's K2 category with the pair storming to a three minute victory. Stott, a former K2 World Champion, has enjoyed his first taste of Masters Cup racing.
"I didn't really know what to expect from the Masters Cup coming from racing seniors were it is really competitive and you have to be professional to compete.
"What I really enjoyed is that everyone has a normal life, they have jobs and families and although they try and train as much as they can they are not professionals.
"I miss the competitiveness of professional racing and racing here has made me realise that this allows guys who have been competitive to come back and race hard.
"It's a great thing to do and I look forward to many more Masters World Cups," Stott added.
The ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships will be held at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg from 8 to 10 September 2017. More information can be found at www.wmc2017.co.za.
Medal Summary:
South Africa - 70
Australia - 11
Canada - 4
Argentina - 2
Denmark - 2
Poland - 2
Spain - 3
Belgium - 1
Great Britain - 1
Portugal - 1
Bulgaria - 1
SUMMARY OF RESULTS - ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Cup Day Two
Men 65-59 K2
1.Allan Hold/Geoff Thompson (RSA) 1:33:22
2.Andre Hawarden/Rob Maclean (RSA) 1:33:23
3.Svenning Jorgensen/Brian Longley (DEN/RSA) 1:41:33
4.Colin Burden/Buckey Symons (RSA) 1:41:34
5.Willie Kunz/Mike Halliday (RSA) 1:41:52
Men 70+
1.Bevin Worlock/Willem Deyzel (RSA) 1:47:45
2.Vincent Buttrick/Claude Graham (RSA) 1:48:07
3.Mike English/Jannie Malherbe (RSA) 1:50:41
4.Lochi Lochner/Allan Botha (RSA) 1:55:39
5.Willem van der Merwe/Graham Cruickshanks 2:27:09
Men C2 All Ages
1.Roger French/Rain Metsoja (AUS) 1:55:04
2.Andrzej Lenartowski/Radoslaw Olszewski (RSA) 1:57:10
3.Maciej Kopij/Stanislaw Kuczynski (POL) 2:02:38
K1 Para-paddling
1.Higinio Rivero (ESP) 1:09:38
2.Glen Pyne (AUS) 1:11:00
3.Constant Olivier (RSA) 1:13:33
4.Luciana Pereria Lima (BRA) 1:14:47
5.Nayara Karin Oliviera (BRA) 1:48:51
Men 55-59 K2
1.Bruce Wenke/Linton Hope (RSA) 1:25:58
2.Ronald Pronk/Theo Smit (RSA) 1:26:19
3.Colin Simpkins/Colin Wilson (RSA) 1:29:50
4.Malcolm Banks/Dyson Pendle (INT) 1:30:33
5.Gordon Spalding/Stretch Struwig (RSA) 1:33:33
Men 60-64 K2
1.Chris Visser/Mat Carlisle (RSA) 1:31:27
2.Nigel Briggs/Mark Drummond (RSA) 1:32:48
3.Rob Lang/Darryl Bohm (CAN) 1:35:08
4.Markus Burri/Rob Welsh (RSA) 1:40:23
5.Ant Edmonds/Nigel Tatham (RSA) 1:45:04
Women 55-59 K2
1.Beth Burton/Liz Russell (RSA) 1:49:09
2.Hilde Lapere/Margi Bohm (RSA/AUS)1:51:37
3.Sharlene McGilvray/Solly Peckett (RSA) 1:56:27
Women 40-44 K2
1.Marion Young/Kim Peek (RSA) 1:39:06
2.Jette Baelum/Pernille Stenum (DEN) 1:46:46
3.Nanette Cocksedge/Ronel Stevens (RSA) 1:53:55
Women 35-39 K2
1.Melissa van Rooyen/Nicky Irvine (RSA) 1:43:32
2.Lindi-May Harmsen/Megan Kelly (RSA) 1:43:46
3.Lyn Bennett/Debbie Gillet (RSA) 1:45:07
Women 45-49 K2
1.Robyn Henderson/Mandy Hoddinott (RSA) 1:40:45
2.Lisa Scott/Lis Hart (RSA) 1:44:58
3.Kerry Ras/Debra Lewis (RSA) 1:50:07
Women 50-54 K2
1.Rory Bohm/Ann Currell (CAN) 1:46:49
2.Merrill King/Sonja Bohnsack (RSA) 1:54:14
3.Lynne Hauptfleisch/Jacqui Boyd (RSA) 1:55:03
Women 60-64 K2
1.Cally Henderson/Jacquie Button (RSA) 1:59:13
2.Minnie Kretzschmar/Carrol Evans (RSA) 2:03:28
Men 35-39 K2
1.Ant Stott/Wayne Jacobs (RSA) 1:39:28
2.Brett Irvine/Steve Woods (RSA) 1:42:38
3.Kevin Musgrave/Ian Oliver (RSA) 1:45:06
4.Alex Roberts/Matt Gunning (RSA) 1:45:06
5.Elton Du Preez/Willem Landman (RSA) 1:51:13
Men 45-49 K2
1.Brett McDonald/Brett Greenwood (AUS) 1:40:32
2.Francisco Vazquez Radondo/Bernado Sanchez Ouro (ESP) 1:42:14
3.Gustav Smook/Darek Bukowski (RSA/POL) 1:44:26
4.Stuart Roberts/Mike Stevens (RSA) 1:45:35
5.Gustav Radloff/Anthony Rowan (RSA) 1:46:53
Men 40-44 K2
1.Piers Cruickshanks/Jacques Theron (RSA) 1:39:41
2.Edgar (Jnr) Boehm/Graeme Solomon (RSA) 1:40:12
3.Daan Du Toit/Hennie du Plooy (RSA) 1:42:28
4.Jason Ekstrand/Richard Lowe (RSA) 1:42:46
5.Zoog Haynes/Lance Howarth (RSA) 1:47:48
Men 50-54 K2
1.Oscar Chalupsky/Herman Chalupsky (POR/RSA) 1:44:45
2.Rob Hart/Garth Watters (RSA) 1:44:47
3.Bruce Pender-Smith/Eric Hildebrandt (RSA) 1:49:46
4.Kevin Murray/Graham Jewitt (RSA) 1:57:21
5.Don Gobey/Skye Prato (RSA) 2:00:51
Mixed All Ages
1.Michael Leverett/Stien Verlinden (AUS/BUL) 1:12:23
2.Donna Winter/Shaun Burgin (RSA) 1:12:26
3.Stu Clifton/Cayleigh Shaw (RSA) 1:12:52
4.Rob Hart/Liz Hart (RSA) 1:14:53
5.Natasha Bradford/Benjamin Bradford (RSA) 1:15:30
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