A stage with many unknowns couldn\u2019t curtail the respective title charges of K1 defending champions Andy Birkett and Christie Mackenzie, who powered to the men\u2019s and women\u2019s Dusi Canoe Marathon titles on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Both started the stage with comfortable leads on Saturday morning and had contrasting days as Birkett meticulously negotiated his way home, while Mackenzie\u2019s two swims were blemishes on an otherwise dominant performance in the women’s race.<\/p>\n
Following another flawless day in the boat, Euro Steel\u2019s Birkett said that he was made to work throughout the day due to the high water levels as he raced to his thirteenth win and tenth title in a row.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday felt like a new river for all of us,\u201d Birkett said. \u201cWe were just paddling scared, trying to avoid the big rapids.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t recognise many of the rapids and was not taking the fastest line and skirting everything on the sides \u2026 you could feel the power of the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Birkett, the adaptation of the race organisers and the fluidity of the event always makes it exciting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe race is not the same from one year to the next, and that\u2019s what makes Dusi special and you have to adapt to the variables.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team MyLife\u2019s Msawenkosi Mtolo put in a surge on the final day to post the fastest time of the day to wrap up second overall. With a big deficit to make on the final stage from Inanda Dam to Blue Lagoon, he knew it was going to be a tough ask to beat Birkett, but he is happy with efforts and is already looking forward to the next K1 event in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started on the dam and felt really strong, but I knew that it wasn\u2019t going to be easy to catch Andy,\u201d Mtolo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried to push as hard as I could to catch him but I know racing Andy is hard but I tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
Euro Steel\u2019s Dave Evans put in another strong performance on the final stage to finish in third place overall.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s final stage started with Mackenzie leading by over 25 minutes and despite a day of mixed fortunes on Saturday, the two-time K1 champion continued her dominance to maintain a big lead into the finish.<\/p>\n
Mackenzie echoed Birkett in speaking about the variables and the excitement the 2023 race provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very different paddling on the river this year,\u201d Euro Steel\u2019s Mackenzie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot has changed and that has brought a number of new challenges, which were exciting to face because I was feeling very strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big challenge for me in big water because that usually isn\u2019t my forte, but I felt like I handled it as best as I could and I\u2019m very pleased with the result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mackenzie\u2019s third consecutive women\u2019s K1 crown puts her amongst Dusi royalty with Marlene Lowenstein and Abby Ulansky as the third woman to win three K1 titles consecutively.<\/p>\n
Finishing in second overall in the women\u2019s race was Bridgitte Hartley who produced another solid display. Despite the threat of retiring from competitive paddling, this year\u2019s Dusi might have convinced Olympic medallist Hartley to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just keep on thinking that I\u2019m getting older and this year I\u2019m a veteran, and I kept asking myself why I am still doing this!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess I do still love it, and coaching the Maritzburg College team keeps me on my toes and I love seeing them improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cK2 is always fun and so you will probably see me on the start line next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Peek was solid again on the final day of the race to round out the women\u2019s podium.<\/p>\n
The under 23 men\u2019s race was won by third-placed Dave Evans while Scott Little, who had a storming final day to take over fourth overall, finished second with Hamish Mackenzie ended in third.<\/p>\n
The junior men\u2019s race was an exciting showdown, but ultimately it was Smilo Mthethwa who claimed the overall victory ahead of Asibabale Mpambani by four seconds, while Greg Palframan finished in third.<\/p>\n
Shannon Parker-Dennison won the under 23 women\u2019s race, while Emma Hatfield won the junior women\u2019s race ahead of Rachel van Deventer.<\/p>\n
Visiting Danish paddler Susan Lutzner won the mixed doubles title with local ace Alex Masina.<\/p>\n
Notably, Glen Hilliar and Ric Whitton completed their 40th Dusi Canoe Marathon\u2019s to become just the eighteenth and nineteenth paddlers to reach that milestone.<\/p>\n
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
\n2023 Dusi Canoe Marathon
\n(Stage Three – Msinsi Resort at Inanda Dam to Blue Lagoon, Durban)
\nTimes: Total (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)<\/p>\n
Overall Men
\n1 Andy Birkett 7.15.42 (1.53.59, 2.57.53, 2.23.48)
\n2 Msawenkosi Mtolo 7.21.43 (1.55.03, 3.04.27, 2.22.11)
\n3 David Evans 7.24.29 (1.58.45, 3.02.14, 2.23.29)
\n4 Scott Little 7.32.31 (2.01.01, 3.06.41, 2.24.49)
\n5 Banetse Nkhoesa 7.34.55 (1.58.48, 3.04.36, 2.31.31)
\n6 Thulani Mbanjwa 7.38.17 (2.01.34, 3.11.05, 2.25.37)
\n7 Hamish Mackenzie 7.41.04 (2.07.21, 3.09.23, 2.24.20)
\n8 Nqobile Makhanya 7.41.05 (2.05.15, 3.11.29, 2.24.19)
\n9 Bongani Ntinga 7.46.32 (2.08.22, 3.11.48, 2.26.21)
\n10 Thabani Msia 7.47.48 (2.11.39, 3.08.36, 2.27.32)<\/p>\n
Overall Women
\n1 Christie Mackenzie 8.19.35 (2.12.57, 3.22.01, 2.44.36)
\n2 Bridgitte Hartley 8.47.27 (2.26.47, 3.35.07, 2.45.31)
\n3 Jordan Peek 8.56.48 (2.27.12, 3.42.44, 2.46.51)
\n4 Nix Birkett 9.17.10 (2.39.07, 3.49.46, 2.48.17)
\n5 Hilary Bruss 9.21.08 (2.33.52, 3.49.06, 2.58.09)
\n6 Shannon Parker-Dennison 9.33.50 (2.41.16, 3.55.40, 2.56.53)
\n7 Emma Hatfield 9.47.13 (2.41.18, 4.03.04, 3.02.50)
\n8 Rachel Van Deventer 9.48.01 (2.43.47, 4.00.46, 3.03.26)<\/p>\n
U23 Men
\n1 David Evans 7.24.29 (1.58.45, 3.02.14, 2.23.29)
\n2 Scott Little 7.32.31 (2.01.01, 3.06.41, 2.24.49)
\n3 Hamish Mackenzie 7.41.04 (2.07.21, 3.09.23, 2.24.20)
\n4 Jeremy Maher 7.49.29 (2.05.13, 3.15.01, 2.29.13)
\n5 Matthew Fenn 7.56.17 (2.03.38, 3.24.32, 2.28.07)
\n6 Ross Leslie 7.59.40 (2.13.29, 3.12.23, 2.33.48)
\n7 Sandile Mtolo 8.02.30 (1.57.17, 3.23.00, 2.42.12)
\n8 Lindokuhle Maphumulo 8.11.04 (2.14.50, 3.24.02, 2.32.12)
\n9 Ross Palframan 8.15.40 (2.16.50, 3.25.07, 2.33.42)
\n10 Murray Behn 8.21.32 (2.15.32, 3.26.38, 2.39.21)<\/p>\n
U23 Women
\n1 Shannon Parker-Dennison 9.33.50 (2.41.16, 3.55.40, 2.56.53)
\n2 Tayla Isaac 12.50.34 (3.22.51, 5.23.13, 4.04.30)<\/p>\n
U18 Boys
\n1 Smilo Mthethwa 8.37.01 (2.14.38, 3.32.00, 2.50.21)
\n2 Asibabale Mpambani 8.37.05 (2.16.50, 3.29.49, 2.50.25)
\n3 Greg Palframan 8.46.16 (2.20.55, 3.39.07, 2.46.13)
\n4 Robert Butcher 8.51.38 (2.25.48, 3.37.25, 2.48.24)
\n5 Sabelo Nyembe 8.59.57 (2.27.16, 3.49.21, 2.43.18)
\n6 Sikhanyisele Dekeda 9.05.41 (2.29.38, 3.52.21, 2.43.41)
\n7 Lucien Baldry 9.36.47 (2.35.51, 4.04.05, 2.56.50)
\n8 Jack Owen Odell 9.46.22 (2.43.23, 4.05.05, 2.57.52)
\n9 Stuart Neilson 9.47.39 (2.41.24, 3.57.35, 3.08.39)
\n10 Christopher Adam 9.51.46 (2.46.15, 4.06.40, 2.58.50)<\/p>\n
U18 Girls
\n1 Emma Hatfield 9.47.13 (2.41.18, 4.03.04, 3.02.50)
\n2 Rachel Van Deventer 9.48.01 (2.43.47, 4.00.46, 3.03.26)
\n3 Lesedi Bobo 13.02.11 (3.31.05, 5.19.39, 4.11.27)<\/p>\n
Andy Birkett completed a flawless race on a full river to claim a thirteenth 2023 Dusi Canoe Marathon title on Saturday.\u00a0 Anthony Grote\/
\nGameplan Media
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