Gauteng Canoe Union hosts Sprint Championships
The competition served as a selection opportunity for the upcoming SA Sprint Championships, scheduled at Roodeplaat Dam from April 4 to 6.
Germiston Lake hosted the Gauteng Canoe Union Sprint Championships on February 1, an event for paddlers of all ages.
The competition served as a selection opportunity for the upcoming SA Sprint Championships, scheduled at Roodeplaat Dam from April 4 to 6.
Athletes from across South Africa will compete in the national event, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the international SA team set to participate in the World Sprint Championships later this year.
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According to Jennie Dallas, PR and media liaison for the Gauteng Canoe Union, sprint canoeing holds a prestigious status in the sport.
“Sprints is recognised as the Olympic discipline, and several paddlers can qualify for selection to represent the country in their respective age groups at the Olympics in due course,” said Dallas.
The sprint races featured various short-distance formats, including 200m, 500m, and 1 000m events, as well as a long-distance 5 000m race.
Junior paddlers, or “guppies,” participated in a shorter 2.2km long-distance event, which did not require portaging.
Several members of the Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) delivered strong performances.
Helen Jansen van Vuuren, an internationally recognised competitor, secured second place in both the 200m (51 seconds) and the 500m (2 minutes 19 seconds) events.
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She also claimed victory in the U23 female long-distance category with a time of 23 minutes 19 seconds.
In the men’s division, Clinton Cook emerged as the top finisher in the long-distance event.
U23 paddler Theo Dreyer finished second overall, just 12 seconds behind, with a time of 20 minutes 20 seconds.
Dreyer, who has competed internationally, also placed second in the 200m and first in the 500m.
Anton Nel, competing in the Sub-Grand Master U50 category, secured second place in the 500m and 200m sprint races.
He also finished second in his category in the 5km long-distance event with a time of 23 minutes 45 seconds.
The event saw participation from clubs across Gauteng, including teams from Soweto, North-West University, Dabulamanzi Canoe Club at Emmarentia Dam, and Pretoria’s Academy of Development, which focuses on Olympic sprint training.
The favourable weather contributed to a successful day of racing and camaraderie for all involved.
