Andrew Birkett (2008) and Ant Stott (1995) have made themselves and the MCOBA very proud this weekend by showing true determination and grit in the 60th Anniversary of the Duzi canoe marathon. Going into the final day Birkett had a one second lead to overcome on Stott, which is the closest in Duzi history.
Andrew Birkett stormed to the overnight lead in The Unlimited Dusi canoe marathon, shattering the ten year old stage record after a first stage peppered with dramatic developments systematically derailed the top contenders.
Twenty year old Birkett, who won last year’s K2 race along with Jason Graham, looked incredibly strong throughout the 43 kilometre first day and despite brief rudder trouble midway through the day he went on to take the win 46 seconds ahead of defending champion Ant Stott.
“I got off to a good start and at the bottom of Ernie Pearce Weir. It was Len, myself and Ant out in the front which was quite special as we’re all from (Maritzburg) College. But after that it was a long slog all the way and once I took the lead I had to work incredibly hard to keep Ant (Stott) at bay,” said Birkett.
“I bent my rudder near The Witness Weir but fortunately Ant kindly tried to help me by hitting it down so I avoided the bank and then I stopped at the top of Campbell’s to put a new one on. Luckily that only cost me about a minute so it wasn’t too bad and I just had to really put the hammer down after that,” he added.
However Stott had problems of his own which destroyed any hopes he may have had of pulling away from the star studded pack.
“Coming over a small wooden bridge at Pine Tree portage one of the planks snapped under me and I went tumbling through. I was stuck with half my body in the bridge and half out, my boat went flying into the stream but I had to pick myself back up and refocus,” said Stott.
“It was a little sore but when you’re racing you don’t feel any pain. I’m sure come Sunday morning I’ll know all about it though,” he added.
The widely fancied Michael Mbanjwa was the race leader at the end of the 4,5km long Campbell's Farm portage, where Birkett and Stott both experienced problems. However the gutsy Birkett staged a charge from behind that saw him erase an almost one minute deficit by the end of the Guinea Fowl portage.
However with the remaining three of the so called ‘Big Five’ contenders Hank McGregor, Len Jenkins and Michael Mbanjwa all battling their way through the day’s stage, the real hero of Day One was the rapidly developing Eric Zondi who deservedly came home to claim the final podium position.
“I’m extremely happy with my third place today. Thanks must go to Martin Dreyer, Michael Mbanjwa and everyone involved in the Change a Life programme because without them I couldn’t have done this,” said an elated Zondi.
With development paddlers claiming eight of the top thirteen places transformation appears to be on the up within the canoeing world and will particularly please Martin Dreyer and his Change A Life team.
More drama unfolded in the ladies race as 20-year-old Robyn Kime made an error at Ernie Pearce Weir right at the start of the race and the resultant swim cost her 30 seconds which gave Abby Adie the chance to break free.
However Kime staged a thrilling charge that ended with her shattering the women's Under 21 record by more than fifteen minutes, in medium river conditions not well suited to breaking records.
“I think Abbey Miedema has passed on her curse to me. Every time in a single’s year she has fallen out at Ernie and then gone on to win the first day,” smiled Kime. “I just had to get back in and I managed to catch Abby at the sewage farm portage.”
“I don’t feel I pushed abnormally hard whilst I was paddling but I definitely had to work harder on the runs,” she added.
“Once I was in front I just went carefully but I’m not used to being in the front so I struggled to pace myself and Robs (Kime) was just so strong,” said second place finisher Abby Adie, who will start the second stage more than seven minutes behind Kime.
Change a Life Academy pupil Mmeli Cele ran and paddled his way to a five minute lead in the junior boys race, finishing seventeenth overall. The junior girls race is being led by Under 16 star Bianca Haw.
The 43km second stage of the Unlimited Dusi is from Dusi Bridge to Inanda Dam.
Article courtesy of www.duzi.co.za
Our first Cricket team recently won the Sunfoil Nite cricket league and will be representing KZN in the Standard Bank Schools Pro 20 league down in Stellenbosh! Come on OC's, go along and support our boys as they represent KZN as the Dolphins!
