Defending champion Michéle Eray comfortably retained her Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Ski Classic title, at Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth on the opening day of the MTN Nelson Mandela Bay Splash Festival.
PE-based Eray comfortably defended her crown in 2:17:16, the former Plettenberg Bay paddler finishing ahead of Cape Town’s Nikki Mocke in 2:19:35, and New Zealand’s world champion Katie Pocock in 2:22:55.
Eray – a Beijing Olympian and former Dubai Shamaal champion – found the conditions hard going. “The conditions were tough and very hot. Fortunately there were a few runners on the home stretch.”
She said her plan was not to start too fast. “Heading towards the boiler on lap one, I went deeper than the other girls and we got separated. I worked really hard to consolidate my lead and then focused on maintaining it.
“I was very worried about Nikki coming from behind. I trained with her before the Olympics, and I know how fast she is when she has a carrot to chase.”
For more information, visit the Splash Festival website, or follow the event on Facebook or Twitter.
(0 rating, 0 votes, rated)
Loading...
