Birkett, Hartley retain titles

ANDY Birkett and Brigitte Hartley both successfully defended their national K1 titles, but in sharply contrasting fashion, on the second day of the SA Flatwater Marathon Canoeing Championships on the canals of St Francis.

Birkett used his patience and guile to outwit the bravado of Jasper Mocké, while Hartley played her cards right to win a four boat dice for the women’s title.

The first half of the men’s K1 title race belonged to the heroics of Mocké, who stunned the race by bolting away on a solo charge right from the gun, and by halfway he had ground out a one minute lead over Birkett and Stu MacLaren.

For a while it seemed his heroic attempt to wrestle control of the race away from the world No 2 may have worked, but an unflappable Birkett reeled him in with two laps to go, and in the process shrugged off MacLaren.

When it came down to the end-sprint Birkett was in total control of the race and kept a tired Euro Steel teammate Mocké at bay, both of them securing the prized spots in the national team to the world champs in Portugal in September.

“It feels fantastic to win such a tight, competitive race,” said Birkett.

MacLaren had to be content with a bridesmaid role once again, third behind Mocké.

“I have got so many thirds at this event, it is frightening,” he said. “But it was a treat to be involved racing around two world class athletes.”

Drive

The women’s decided in almost the exact opposite set of race tactics. Hartley was part of a four boat drive at the front of the race with Jenna Ward, Hayley Nixon and Bianca Beavitt.

They stayed together through the six laps and portages until the final short lap into the finish. Nixon fell out of contention, leaving the podium to the other three, but the two spots in the national team were quickly settled when Hartley put down the hammer and only Ward could stay with her, and was happy to settle for silver alongside Hartley’s back-to-back gold medal.

“I remember getting a distant seventh at my first SA Marathon Champs, so being able to win here, against this strong a field, feels very good,” said Hartley.

“It was very fast out there, and reflects the high standard of women’s paddling in South Africa at the moment,” she added.

More information can be found at www.canoesa.org.za