McGregor hangs up K1 paddle

TEN-TIME ICF Canoe Marathon World Champion and defending K1 and K2 world champ Hank McGregor has hung up his K1 paddle to concentrate on winning another K2 title with Andy Birkett as well as focusing on his surfski paddling.

This was confirmed when the entries for this weekend’s SA Marathon Champs and national team trials in St Francis were processed, revealing the notable absence of McGregor’s name on the K1 entry list.

The most decorated paddler in the marathon discipline capped off a phenomenal 2017 World Championships in Pietermaritzburg where he gave the huge crowd what they wanted on the Saturday, beating Birkett and Hungarian Adrian Boros in an exciting end sprint to claim his ninth world title, and seventh K1 world crown.

“After last year’s climax of winning both singles and doubles at home, I pretty much felt that I achieved all that I could achieve in marathon racing,” said McGregor.

“I didn’t even contemplate racing marathons this year, but after paddling Dusi with Andy (Birkett) we got talking about maybe doing marathons together.

The South African Canoe Marathon Championships take place in Cape St Francis this weekend from Friday to Sunday.