Hamish Lovemore added two more medals to his impressive collection when he collected a silver and a bronze at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Brandenburg, Germany over the weekend.
In icy conditions, Lovemore raced to a spectacular second place in the final of the 1 000m K1 event on Saturday, and then followed that up with a bronze medal in the 5 000m K1 event on Sunday.
The two medals from this week’s World Cup regatta mean South Africa’s top sprinter has now picked up three World Cup medals from two weekend’s of racing in Europe and, although it is still early in the process, places him on track to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Saturday’s silver medal in the 1 000m race will be particularly pleasing for Lovemore after he finished ninth in the final of the Olympic-distance event at the opening World Cup in Szeged, Hungary a week ago.
While he was never really in contention for a win seven days ago, Lovemore paddled an almost perfectly-judged race this week. He was never far off the pace on Saturday, and led the field through the 750m mark before being edged out by the fast-finishing Hungarian Balint Kopasz, with Australian Thomas Green claiming third, ahead of last week’s winner, Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta.
“I’m so happy … it’s the best end to the trip,” said Lovemore after his race on Saturday. “The conditions were really difficult coming from South Africa – the cold! It’s the first time I have had to wear a thermal with a rain jacket underneath.”
In the 5 000m, Danish powerhouse Mads Pedersen, a completely dominant force in the longer events in 2025, was not going to allow Pimenta to outsprint him as happened last weekend. This week the Dane broke away and paddled to a big 30-second victory with Lovemore matching last week’s result in third, 11 seconds behind the Portuguese speedster.
In other results, Esti Olivier reached two C Finals and finished second and ninth in the 200m and 500m respectively, while Christjan Coetzee ended sixth in the 200m men’s C Final.
Helen Jansen van Vuuren reached the semi-finals of the 1 000m.
SA Paddler Results
Men
Hamish Lovemore: K1 1 000m – Final 2nd; K1 5 000m – 3rd
Chrisjan Coetzee: K1 200m – C Final 6th; K1 500m – Heats 7th
Nic Weeks: K1 200m – Heats 7th; K1 500m – Heats 8th
Weeks & Coetzee: K2 500m – Heats 9th
Women
Esti Olivier: K1 500m – C Final 9th; K1 200m – C Final 2nd; K1 5 000m – DNF
Helen Jansen van Vuuren: 1 000m – Semi 9th; K1 5 000m – 31st
Headeer Image: Paddle Photography /Paddlesport SA /Gameplan Media
