Dave MacLeod-Livewire Media
File picture of Len Jenkins.
Cradock – Len Jenkins claimed a sixth victory in succession in the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon, pipping Hank McGregor to the finish line at the end of a titanic battle over two days and 82 kilometres, continuing his domination of the event in a K1.
In the process, he clinched the 2012 SA K1 title as well.
Jenkins and McGregor were neck and neck for the majority of the event, which was doubling as the SA K1 river champs, and for the first time in decades it came down to an end sprint to separate the pair with Jenkins getting the decisive jump on McGregor just meters from the finish line.
Jenkins, dubbed the “Fisher King” for his uncanny dominance in this race for more than a decade, was full of praise for his adversaries after seizing control of the race in the closing stages when McGregor was slowed by waves in the Golf Course rapids.
“I’d definitely rank my first win in 2001 as the most memorable but it’s still great to have one and it was nice to have a good race against Hank (McGregor),” said Jenkins.
“It was a different win. It was a really strong field this year and there were a lot of good guys here. Hank (McGregor) and Grant (van der Walt) are fantastic athletes so it was tough.
“I tried not to do too much work today. With Grant just behind us, obviously he was always going to do his best to catch us and I could’ve tried to fight it but I decided to take it easy instead and it paid off for me in the end,” he added.
Having started the day together the pair were then caught by Van der Walt between Long Acre bridge and Gauging Weir and the three then made their way towards the notorious Cradock Weir.
Jenkins and McGregor shot the major obstacle in the most unconventional manner when the two of them went over the weir at precisely the same time and remarkably both boats and paddlers paddled on unscathed with Van der Walt left twenty metres off the pace.
McGregor, however, was not done yet and put in a superb interval to catch and pace the defending champ. A rare mistake through Golf Course rapid by McGregor gave Jenkins the gap he needed and through he went.
“After Len got away at Cradock I managed to catch and pass him after a kilometre but then I just hit a couple of stopper waves at the bottom which really slowed me down and I just couldn’t get past again,” said McGregor.
Van der Walt had to settle for the third step on the podium finishing fifty metres behind the leaders after a monumental effort on the second stage.
Local hero Greg Louw powered his way into fourth place ahead of Lance Kime and Cam Schoeman.
Overnight leader in the ladies’ race, Michéle Eray, enjoyed a career highlight when she crossed the line ahead of former defending champ Robyn Kime, becoming the first Eastern Cape paddler in fifteen years to win the K1 title.
The win was even sweeter for Eray after the former Olympian was forced out of action by a debilitating wrist injury for much of 2011 and this year’s event being her first major race, other than her efforts at the recent World Marathon Champs in Rome, since August last year.
“Obviously I haven’t exactly had the most ideal preparation for this race with not much time to train so I just had to go with what I knew,” said Eray.
Kime claimed the silver medal with her team Best 4 Kayak Centre team mate Abby Adie claiming bronze.
Jenna Ward had a superb two days as she came home in fourth place with ICF World Marathon Series champion Hilary Pitchford rounding out the top five. – Sapa
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Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/sport/more-sport/jenkins-wins-fish-river-canoe-marathon-1.1397794