"Water. Water. Just more water."
Moments after winning the Dusi Canoe Marathon‚ paddler Andy Birkett just wanted to quench his thirst after a scorching day on the river. The mercury reached 37 degrees on Wednesday which‚ along with low river levels because of the drought‚ made for a tough day on the water.
Birkett‚ who led the race from start to finish‚ won in a time of just over 8 hours‚ 32 minutes. He said he was delighted to overcome the conditions and take the victory.
He beat closest rival Sibonelo Kwela by nearly 24 minutes in a dominant display. Kwela was aiming to become the first even black paddler to win the K1 solo race‚ having previously won the K2 pairs category.
TMG Digital/TimesLIVE