Canoeing SA announces strong world champs team
Multiple world champs titleholders, Andy Birkett, Bridgitte Hartley and Hank McGregor, will proudly represent South Africa in China later this year.
WITH the conclusion of the South African Canoe Marathon Championships, Canoeing South Africa has named a strong side to compete in the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Shaoxing, China in October.
The team includes world champions Andy Birkett and Hank McGregor as well as Alex Masina, who won a bronze in the junior boys K1 race in 2017 at the World Champs in Pietermaritzburg and the U18 paddler, Nosipho Mthembu, who will paddle in the U18 Girls K2 race with Amy Peckett.
McGregor has won eight K1 gold medals, four K2 golds and one K2 silver medal, and while he didn’t compete in the K1 race at the 2018 World Championships, he won the K2 showdown with Birkett.
In the senior women’s class it was Bridgitte Hartley who won the national championships and will represent South Africa once again at the world champs. She will be joined by a former U23 medallist, Jenna Ward.
Hartley and Christie Mackenzie will be the one senior women’s crew representing South Africa in the K2 race and former world championship silver medallists, Jenna Ward and Kyeta Purchase, will take up the second South African boat slot in the race.
The U23 K1 paddlers selected to represent South Africa are, in the men’s, Hamish Lovemore and Alex Masina. The women’s category will be filled by Christie Mackenzie and Kyeta Purchase.
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From a K1 perspective, Hamish Mackenzie and Uli Hart will represent the SA U18 boys team while Amy Peckett and Georgina Howard will represent the U18 girls’ side.
In the K2 category, former world championship silver medallists Hamish Mackenzie and David Evans will compete in a third world championship while Uli Hart and Matt Fenn will take part in their second World Championship K2 race.
The U18 girls’ K2 team will see Amy Peckett team up with Nosipho Mthembu while Georgina Howard and Melanie Croeser will be the other South African team in the junior girls’ category at the World Championships.
South African team for 2019 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships:
K1
U18 boys:
Hamish Mackenzie
Ulvard Hart
U18 girls:
Amy Peckett
Georgina Howard
U23 men:
Hamish Lovemore
Alex Masina
U23 women:
Kyeta Purchase
Christie Mackenzie
Senior men:
Andy Birkett
Hank McGregor
Senior women:
Bridgitte Hartley
Jenna Ward
K2
U18 boys:
David Evans and Hamish Mackenzie.
Gustav Smook Jnr and Bartho Visser.
U18 girls:
Amy Peckett and Nosipho Mthembu.
Georgina Howard and Melonie Croeser.
Senior men:
Andy Birkett and Hank McGregor.
Louis Hatting and Alex Masina.
Senior women:
Christie Mackenzie and Bridgitte Hartley.
Jenna Ward and Kyeta Purchase.
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