Olympian Bridgitte Hartley continued her good form to win the women’s national K1 title at the SA Marathon Championships at Hazelmere Dam in a nail-biting finish on Friday, 17 June 2022.
The race finished in a two-way sprint to the line and the in-form Hartley got ahead of Nikki Birkett to take the gold medal while Birkett finished second to book her spot on the national team for the World Championships.
For Hartley, she knew it was going to be a race in her favour if she got it down to an end sprint.
“It’s always a tough race and that last little bit is a killer for anyone but it was good to put in a good effort for every portage,” Hartley said.
“Towards the end I just slowly tried to pick it up and coming from a sprinting background I love the last 500 metres so I come into my own in that stretch.”
The Under 18 Junior girls K2 race narrowed down to two boats with Saskia Hockly and her sister Valmajean taking on Tannah Smith and Neriyah Dill for the gold medal.
It was the Hockly siblings that showed they were in a class apart when they powered home to victory in the Junior Girls K1 race.
Second place went to Tannah Smith and Neriyah Dill, while it was Caitlyn Evans and Helen Jansen van Vuuren who came home in third.
Saturday’s third and final day of racing sees the K2 racing take centre stage.
More details can be found at www.canoesa.org.za
Results – SA Marathon Championships
Senior Women K1
1.Bridgitte Hartley 2:11:18.96
2.Nix Birkett 2:11:19.93
3.Kira Bester 2:15:58.05
Junior Girls K2
1.Saskia Hockly/Valmajean Hockly 1:30:01.35
2.Tannah Smith/Neriyah Dill 1:30:44.54
3.Helen Jansen van Vuuren/Caitlyn Evans 1:36:56.33
4.Chiara Vorster/Babette van Rooyen 1:37:05.55
5.Sarah Jones/Megan O’Connor 1:46:10.35
SA Marathon Championships Programme of Events
Day Three: Saturday, 18 June
08:42 K2 MASTER WOMEN 35 – 64 YEARS
08:46 K2 MASTER WOMEN 65+
08:48 C2 Men and WOMEN
11:05 K2 SENIOR WOMEN
Photo 1 Caption: Bridgitte Hartley continued her fantastic form to win the women’s title in the senior K1 race on day two of the 2022 SA Marathon Championships at Hazelmere Dam on Friday, 17 June 2022. Photo: Lynne Hauptfleisch/Gameplan Media
With editing by gsport
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