MSAWENKOSI Mtolo and Thabani Msiya held their nerve to win the 2020 Garden City Commercials Non-Stop Dusi Canoe Marathon on Friday, in the process denying Sbonelo Khwela what would have been his tenth title in the ultra-endurance paddling event.

The battle for ascendancy in the ‘Dusi in a day’ was a ding-dong one throughout with the duo fighting it out with the experienced crew of nine-time champion Sbonelo Khwela and Banetse Nkhoesa.

Racing on full rivers an in near perfect, cool weather conditions, the two crews traded places at the front of the race several times as mishaps befell both crews at key stages of the race.

Through the early stages of the race it seemed that Khwela and Nkhoesa had control of proceedings and they were setting the pace on the front of the race.

“We knew they were the crew to beat if we wanted to win this race. When we saw emptying their boat at Hippo Rapid and I said to my partner ‘This is the time to catch them'”, said Mtolo.

“They were so strong and they caught us and then ran away from us on the second portage on Inanda dam,” he added.

“We managed to catch them by the start of the Burma Road portage, and when Banetse (Nkhoesa) started cramping, we knew that was our chance to take it.”

Third went to the tenacious U23 crew of Jabulani Gwamanda and Mpilo Zondi, just five minutes behind Khwela and Nkoesa.

On the local front, Durban North brothers, Jody and Duane Taylor finished in a credible seventh place.

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