Umdloti’s Saskia Hockly paddled to an international gold medal in home waters at the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships on Saturday.

Racing alongside East London partner Matthew Fenn in the mixed K2 event, Saskia powered to victory against a packed field, winning by over two minutes. Fellow Umdloti paddler and training partner, Hamish Lovemore, finished third in the race with Mt Edgecombe’s Jenna Nisbet, while a French team took silver.

The mixed race was the first of a full weekend of world-class racing in Durban, as the championships were hosted in South Africa for the first time. More than 500 paddlers arrived, making it the largest iteration of the event in history.

K2 pairs went from the Durban Undersea Club to Amanzimtoti on Saturday, while the K1 solo divisions took off in Durban and paddled to Westbrook.

A year after taking world bronze in Portugal, Saskia and Matthew proved too strong as they quickly took control. They led from the start, and despite rough seas and strong winds hampering the field, they were never troubled, rather enjoying and relishing the challenge.

“The race was hard but fun. The waves were gnarly, but I’m stoked we had the wind. It feels unreal to be a world champion,” she said. The paddlers even encountered a shark and some dolphins on the way to their first world title.

READ MORE: Local paddlers shine at ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships | North Coast Courier

“We stayed focused and Matt drove like a legend. He got us through the large swells out at backline and the hectic shore break.”

“When we came around the back line, Matt said ‘look at all the people.’ I’ve never seen such a big crowd for paddling – it was crazy.”

Meanwhile, Hamish and Jenna snatched bronze from Spain’s 2023 world champions, Walter Bouzan and Judit Verges Xifra, who capsized at back line but tried to swim from mid-break.

“We caught a bomb from the back, which helped us pass the Spaniards and take a podium place,” said Hamish.

“We had a terrible start but got better when the wind changed. The sea threw everything at us. Our main goal was to have fun, but this is a great way to end the season. Now I can rest, surf and go fishing.”

Hamish – who recently won the Fish River Canoe Marathon – praised Saskia’s achievement.

READ MORE: Umdloti paddlers Hockly and Lovemore win double silver at world championships | North Coast Courier

“Saskia deserves this. She trained very hard. It’s great to see her winning a world championship.”

Elsewhere, Saskia finished fourth in the women’s U23 K1 race and eighth overall; Umhlanga’s Michelle Burn claimed first in the women’s 40-44 K1 category and seventh overall; Salt Rock’s Hank McGregor grabbed third in the men’s 45-49 K1 and Ballito’s Keegan Vogt earned seventh in the men’s U18 K1.

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