HANK McGregor rewrote the history books on Sunday by becoming the first South African paddler to win both K1 and K2 gold medals at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships.

After an emphatic obliteration of the Men’s K1 race on Saturday 36 year old McGregor teamed up with his surfski friend Jasper Mocké to clinch the K2 gold medal in a thrilling four boat showdown that brought the curtain down on the event on the Oklahoma River.

With both McGregor and Mocké anxious to conserve energy after a hard days singles racing the day before, the race was a very tactical affair featuring two classy Spanish crews in Javier Alonso and Emilio Merchan and Walter Bouzan and Alvaro Fernandes Fuiza and the potent Hungarian duo of Adrian Boros and Laslo Solti.

“It’s a fifth gold medal and the first time that a South African has won both K1 and K2 gold at the same world champs,” said McGregor.

“It was a lot of fun and pretty intense out there. It was pretty tactical. We thought we would try to outwit the two Spanish boats but they were pretty clever,” said a clearly elated McGregor.

McGregor once again dedicated the win to his newborn son Thortsen and wife watching on live streaming at home in Durban.

Earlier in the day Team South African recorded two top seven finishes in the Women’s K2 Senior races, with Abby Adie and Laura O’Donaghue finishing sixth and Jenna Ward and Hayley Arthur seventh.

Team manager Steve Jourdan hailed the event as the most successful campaign at the World Marathon Champs by a South African team.