Canoeing SA’s golden boy back home

Canoeing SA’s golden boy Hank McGregor arrived back in Durban yesterday morning after becoming the first South African paddler to win double gold in the K1 and K2 ICF Canoe marathon world championships. It is also the first time a team from outside Europe has won the men’s kayak team trophy.

A group of fans were waiting for the tired Salt Rock local at King Shaka International airport as were his wife Pippa and infant son Thorsten, both sporting t-shirts celebrating his world championships achievements.

McGregor said it was tough to race the K2 race the day after a gruelling K1 race and he feels he has achieved everything he ever wanted to in marathon racing.

“I have been battling with a calf injury for the last two months and I was sceptical about being able to do what people expect me to do – run really well on the portages,” said McGregor.

He said his change of strategy on the portages caught his competitors off-guard.

“When we jumped back in the water they were pretty much spent but I was still really surprised that I managed to open such a big gap in the end-sprint. I was overwhelmed with emotion coming into the finish line – your whole body goes numb with excitement,” said McGregor.

McGregor said he saw the success of the entire South African team, including the juniors as a good omen for the future and it is important to keep up the momentum until the 2017 world championships which will be staged in Pietermaritzburg.

“Let’s hope we can do it in our own back yard in 2017. I am not sure if I will be there, but hopefully I have shown the freeway how to get there,” said McGregor.

McGregor said he knew in the back of his mind that everyone back home was watching the races on live internet streaming.

“One day maybe if the YouTube clip is still up my son will be able to see it and realise that his dad was a little different,” McGregor added.