Monday, 08 August 2011 11:18
True sportsmanship shown by South African paddlers
As the country’s top marathon canoeists prepare for the SA Flatwater Marathon Championships at Shongweni dam this weekend, a moment of true sportsmanship in the days leading up to the event has highlighted a distinct aspect of the sport.
At the recent KwaZulu-Natal Marathon Championships at the same venue, seasoned marathoners Ant Stott and Graeme Solomon were locked in a tight duel with Brandon van der Walt and Cam Schoeman, both former world champs in their respective age groups, as they approached the final lap of the race.
“It had been a competitive race from the start and we’d been hustling on the portages. As we came into the last and most critical portage we all got a bit close and unfortunately we ended up being tipped out of our boat and so lost valuable time on them,” explained Stott, a former K2 World Champ himself.
With competition stiff and any time advantage one gains being crucial the pair’s unfortunate spill effectively ended the race for the title, or so many would have believed.
However van der Walt and Schoeman, having realized the misfortune of their fellow competitors, took the bold decision to stop racing and wait for the other pair to catch up before continuing their battle for the title.
“It was brilliant to see the guys wait for us. It is rare to see such sportsmanship in elite sport these days so it really was superb,” said Stott.
“Cam (Schoeman) and I have a pretty strong bond after we won the world title together in 2008 but still, for them to have made the decision to stop and wait for us before resuming racing again was really great and highly commendable.”
Whilst paddling off, uncontested, to the finish line would certainly have been tempting for Schoeman and van der Walt, in the heat of the moment the pair were able to put the race aside and consider the bigger picture.
“We both hopped back into our boats and went flat out for the final few hundred metres to the line. It was beneficial for both of us to be able to test ourselves under proper race conditions ahead of the SA Champs,” said Stott. “And they ended up winning the race which just goes to show you can have good sportsmanship and still achieve success!"
The SA Flatwater Marathon Champs takes place at Shongweni dam on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August. More info can be found at www.canoesa.org.za
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