African canoe champs 2005
26 July 2005
The South African canoeing team comprehensively retained the African Championship title after three days of tough competition in testing conditions in St Louis, Senegal.
The team of seniors, juniors and under-16 cadets won 14 of the 24 individual titles on offer, and a further 11 silver medals, to comfortably hold off the challenge from Tunisia for the overall team title.
The host nation Senegal made the biggest improvements since the 2003 continental event in Tunisia, upsetting Morocco to take the final team place on the podium.
Women dominate
The South African women, in particular, dominated their categories. Johannesburg-based sprint star Claire Langenhoven won three golds, with the only other senior women's gold going to team-mate Bridgette Hartley.
Melissa Moss and Camilla Jones set the standard in the junior girls' races, and between them ensured that every gold in their sections went South
Africa's way.
In the junior men's races, Lembethe Canoe Club ace Nkosi Mzolo struck gold in the 3 000 metres LD race and 200 metres sprint, and then added silvers in the 1 000 and 500 metres sprints as well. His Alstom-backed clubmate Tom Ncgobo also paddled into the medals regularly in the cadet, or under-16 class.
Blue-ribbon win
Paarl-based star Paul Lombard scooped the blue-ribbon men's 500 metres title, while another Lembethe CC rising star, Sphamandla Sibisi, took the equivalent gold in the boys' cadet class.
Pietermaritzburg-based Kayleigh Champion rounded off a solid competition with gold in the girls' cadet 200 metres final on Sunday.
South Africa retained the African Championship Shield, and has not lost the continental title since the inception of the competition in 2000.
"Conditions were not easy", said Canoeing SA's President Tim Cornish. "There was a very strong current in the water, and the times varied
hugely, depending on which way the races were held relative to the current.
"Our team did exceptionally well to retain the title", he added.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
OVERALL RESULTS
1. South Africa (14 Gold 11 Silver 4 Bronze)
2. Tunisia (3 Gold 3 Silver 5 Bronze)
3. Senegal (5 Gold 4 Silver 3 Bronze)
4. Morocco (2 Gold 3 Silver 9 Bronze)
5. Ivory Coast (1 Silver 1 Bronze)
5. Angola (1 Silver 1 Bronze)
7. Sao Tome & Principe (1 Bronze)
7. Kenya (1 Bronze)
FINALS
K1 Men Senior 3 000 metres
1. Issam Aidi (Morocco)
2. Sidi Said Idrissi (Morocco)
3. Paul Lombard (RSA)
6. Chris Majola (RSA)
K1 Women Junior 3 000 metres
1. Melissa Moss (RSA)
2. Camila Jones (RSA)
3. Idriss Soundous (Morocco)
K1 Men Junior 3 000 metres
1. Nkossi Mzolo (RSA)
2. Phineas Zulu (RSA)
3. Mohamed Boulharre (Morocco)
K1 Women
Senior 3 000 metres
1. Claire Langenhoven (RSA)
2. Bridgitte Hartley (RSA)
3. Chaima Souli (Tunisia)
K1 Men Cadet 3 000 metres
1. Mohamed Ali Mrabet (Tunisia)
2. Yacibe Houem (Morocco)
3. Tom Ngcobo (RSA)
5. Sphamandla Sibisi (RSA)
K1 Women Cadet 3 000 metres
1. Kathia Ba (Senegal)
2. Andrea Lioda (Ivory Coast)
3. Kaileigh Champion (RSA)
6. Nombuso Mzolo (RSA)
K1 Men Senior 1 000 metres
1. Assane Fall (Senegal)
2. Diogenes Van Dunen (Angola)
3. Laydi Issam (Morocco)
5. Paul Lombard (RSA)
K1 Women Senior 1 000 metres
1. Claire Langenhoven (RSA)
2. Bridgitte Hartley (RSA)
3. Chaima Souli (Tunisia)
K1 Men Junior 1 000 metres
1. Abdoulaye Ndoye (Senegal)
2. Nkosi Nzolo (RSA)
3. Benouri Houssam (Morocco)
6. Phineas Zulu (RSA)
K1 Women Junior 1 000 metres
1. Idriss Soundous (Morocco)
2. Choukroun Souli (Tunisia)
3. Melissa Moss (RSA)
4. Camilla Jones (RSA)
K1 Men Cadet 1 000 metres
1. Sphamandla Sibissi (RSA)
2. Mohamed Ali Mrabet (Tunisia)
3. Ibrahima Ngom (Senegal)
5. Tom Ngcobo (RSA)
K1 Women Cadet 1 000 metres
1. Sabrine Harizi (Tunisia)
2. Nombuso Mzolo (RSA)
3. Fama Fall (Senegal)
6. Kaileigh Champion (RSA)
K1 Men Senior 500 metres
1. Paul Lombard (RSA)
2. Mohamed Sdouki (Tunisia)
3. Laydi Issam (Morocco)
4. Chris Majola (RSA)
K1 Women Senior 500 metres
1. Bridgitte Hartley (RSA)
2. Claire Langenhoven (RSA)
3. Ricciarda Coralo (Sao Tome & Principe)
K1 Men Junior 500 metres
1. Abdoulaye Ndoye (Senegal)
2. Nkosi Nzolo (RSA)
3. Mohammed Boulhare (Morocco)
K1 Women Junior 500
metres
1. Melissa Moss(RSA)
2. Camilla Jones (RSA)
3. Idriss Soundous (Morocco)
K1 Men Cadet 500 metres
1. Sphamandla Sibissi (RSA)
2. Matar Daillo (Senegal)
3. Yacibe Houem (Morocco)
4. Mohamed Ali Mrabet (Tunisia)
5. Tom Ngcobo (RSA)
K1 Women Cadet 500 metres
1. Kathia Ba (Senegal)
2. Kaileigh Champion (RSA)
3. Fama Fall (Senegal)
4. Nombuso Mzolo (RSA)
K1 Men Senior 200 metres
1. Mohamed Sdouki (Tunisia)
2. Ousmane Fall (Senegal)
3. Chris Majola (RSA)
K1 Women Senior 200 metres
1. Claire Langenhoven (RSA)
2. Bridgitte Hartley (RSA)
3. Chaima Souli (Tunisia)
K1 Men Junior 200 metres
1. Nkosi Nzolo (RSA)
2. Kahn Ifraz (Kenya)
3. Benouri Houssam (Morocco)
K1 Women Junior 200 metres
1. Melissa Moss (RSA)
2. Idriss Soundous (Morocco)
2. Choukroun Souli (Tunisia)
4. Camilla Jones (RSA)
K1 Men Cadet 200 metres
1. Sphamandla Sibissi (RSA)
2. Ibrahima Ngom (Senegal)
3. Mohamed Ali Mrabet (Tunisia)
5. Tom Ngcobo (RSA)
K1 Women Cadet 200 metres
1. Kaileigh Champion (RSA)
2. Kathia Ba (Senegal)
3. Andrea Lioda (Ivory Coast)
4. Nombuso Mzolo (RSA)
Source: Canoeing South Africa
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