McGregor wins World Champs
29 September 2003
Durban canoeist Hank McGregor is the new marathon world champion. The nuggety sprinter won a drama-laden Men’s K1 race after his main challenger, and defending world champion Manuel Busto-Fernandes of Spain, was disqualified for finishing the race outside of the buoy that demarcates the finish area.
McGregor had dominated the race and led the front bunch in the 35-kilometre event which at one stage saw Busto-Fernandes falling off the lead pack as it set a furious pace. However, he paddled hard to get back onto the front group and was racing neck-and-neck with McGregor in the last few hundred metres, with deafening support from the local Spanish spectators.
The Spaniard, though, raced wide and finished the race outside of the finish buoy, leaving no doubt that McGregor was the new world champion. The management of the South African team were anticipating a protest from the Spanish team, but celebrated as McGregor was named the new world
number one. Fellow South African Ant Stott finished third in the race, bagging a third World Championship medal for the South African squad.
Cape schoolboy Simon van Gysen took second in the junior boys K1 race, losing the sprint for the world title to British paddler Benjamin Brown by a few boat lengths. DHS schoolboy Clint Pretorius, who won a silver medal at last year’s world champs, was off-form and finished eighth, two minutes behind the leaders.
Great record
McGregor flew to Spain from the World Sprint Championships in Gainesville, where he established himself as one of the top 20 paddlers in the world in the 1000m K1 discipline. He is the current SA K1 marathon, ski and 1000 metre sprint champion, and only the SA K1 River Championships in four week’s time stand between him and an unprecedented clean sweep of domestic K1 titles.
The win over Busto-Fernandes casts a fascinating light on next weekend’s Hansa Powerade Fish
Marathon in Cradock as Busto-Fernandes will be jetting into South Africa to take part in the event, and square up to McGregor for the second time in a week.
The World Championships proved to be an unqualified success for the South African team who took fifth place, rising three places in the world rankings. ”The team result is fantastic”, said team captain Graham Bird after the prizegiving. “Hank’s result made a big difference, but it reflects the very good results from the Men’s and Ladies K2s, as well as Simon van Gysen’s great silver medal on the first day”, he added.
The results might have been even better had the team not been struck by food poisoning. Several athletes had to receive medical attention after meals eaten at their upmarket hotel left a number of people seriously ill. Pretoria athlete Bennie Reynders had to be rushed to hospital, while several others had to receive medical attention at the hotel.
Overall
Rankings
1.Hungary
2.Spain
3.Portugal
4.Czech Republic
5.South Africa
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