North Coast paddlers powered to five podium finishes at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Hungary last week.

Ballito’s Keegan Vogt (17) claimed two junior medals, while Salt Rock’s Hank and Pippa McGregor secured both individual and team medals in the masters event in the town of Gyr.

The masters were first up, with both McGregors starting their campaigns on September 1.

Hank displayed his world-class experience to take gold in the 18km K1 men’s 45-49 marathon, racing against a 25-strong international field. He finished in 1:17:48, just under three seconds ahead of Argentine Rodrigo Caffa in a thrilling contest that saw the top seven finishers separated by less than five seconds.

Pippa kicked off ten minutes later in the 14.3km K1 women’s 40-44 marathon, facing strong competition from Argentina’s Maria Cecilia Collueque and South Africa’s Bridgitte Hartley. Hartley took overall victory ahead of Collueque, with Pippa securing bronze, just over three seconds off the winning time.

The husband-and-wife duo then combined in the 10.5km K2 mixed 35-44 marathon on September 2, which they dominated from start to finish. The McGregors crossed the line in 45:14, more than a minute and a half ahead of Hartley and Riccardo Talevi in second, and over four minutes clear of the German pair in third.

At the other end of the experience scale, 17-year-old Maritzburg College pupil Keegan Vogt produced the standout performance for South Africa, stepping up in the absence of Umdloti’s medal hopeful Hamish Lovemore, sidelined by illness. Returning to the world stage with unfinished business after narrowly missing a medal in his debut last year, Keegan delivered on his promise.

In the 21.8km junior (U18) K1 marathon on September 4, Keegan joined a four-man lead group with South Africa’s Cody Stallard, Ireland’s Sean Butterly and neutral athlete Ivan Nekrasov. The race came down to a sprint finish between Keegan and Butterly, with the Irishman edging victory by less than three seconds. Keegan finished in 1:31:25 to claim silver.

Keegan later teamed up with Cape Town’s Ryley Smith in the 21.8km junior K2 marathon on September 7. The pair were part of a three-team group into the final portage but lacked the finishing speed, eventually taking bronze.

Full results are available at canoeicf.com.

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