FNB DUSI 2019 – GAUTENGERS AT THE RACE – FEEDBACK
Plenty of photos and video’s were available on the Dusi facebook page, some shared on Facebook/GautengCanoeUnion for your interest! awesome photos.
The clouds gathered and storms leading up to the first day filled the river, and enabled ecological water releases making an awesome Dusi, although there were still a few reports of some upset stomachs which interfered with finishers hopes……
There were 256 K2 finishers, and 289 K1 boats who completed the race making a total of 801 finishers not counting marshalls or sweeps…..
Andy Birkett, Sbonelo Khwela and Thulani Mbanjwa were the top 3 finishers after a close tight 3 day race, in times of 8 hours 9 minutes, 8:11 and 8h29! (KZN paddlers).
Not surprisingly the top Gauteng finisher of the event was Siseko Ntondini (Dabs) in 9 hours 7 minutes, as the 8th senior age category finisher, and as 16th K1 finisher overall. Barely a second later Richard Cele (VLC) clocked his finish as 9th finisher, and 17th K1 overall. Loveday Zondi (VLC) was the 3rd Gautenger to finish the 120km challenging river endurance event, as 3rd Subveteran and 26th K1, in a time of 9 hours 17 minutes.
Holly Spencer was the first Gauteng lady to finish the race in 13 hours 23 minutes over the 3 days, K1 208, and 97th K1- senior paddler overall – while Janet Bartlett and Sara Robinson brought in a K2 ladies finish in 14 hours 05 minutes, as 130th K2 and overall senior finish position of 116 K2 – – Hanli Bezuidenhout (CEN) was the only other Gauteng female racer, finishing in 21 hours 58 minutes at her first ever Dusi, as a Sub Master category – well done for the female contenders!
The Top 50 finishers from Gauteng included Sibusiso Chwayi (SOW) 9th Under 23, k1 33, in 9:26 overall, Piers Cruickshanks (Dabs) as 1st Sub Master, in 9:34, K1 37, 11th Under 23 finisher was Siyabonga Tyki, (Dabs) K1 40 in 9:37, Phineas Zulu (Dabs) as 21st Senior age category, K1 44 in 9:40, Zanentlantla Mbala as 12th Under 23, K1 45 in 9:45 (Sow) – well done to them, and I do think that Wongama Makasi (SOW) also deserves a mention here as he finished in position K1 51, just missing the Top 50 as the 5th Under 18 finisher, in 10:05…..a superb achievement for his age – well done all!
The Top 100 finishers should in any event be mentioned – it was certainly an interesting and challenging year on the UmsinDusi river – well done then to Michael-John Robb (Dabs) as K1 59, 26th Senior age category finisher in a time of 10:05, while Kelvin Byres (Dabs) just missed a Veteran podium in 4th place as K1 60, 32 seconds later, and Under 23 Simnikiwe Ntondini (DABS) finished 17th in that age category, as K1 68 in a time of 10:15. Alex Roberts (Dabs) was the 13th Sub veteran finisher, K1 81, in a time of 10:30, while young Under 18 Benjamin Mntonintshi (Sow) was 11th in that age category in a time of 10:47 as K1 84th finisher, followed by Mark Garden (Dabs) who finished in 10:54 as K1 98th finisher, and 8th Veteran. Bambo Fanteni (Sow) was the 16th Under 18 finisher just missing the 100 top finishers, so well deserving his mention, finishing in 10:47 as K101…..
While John Barrow won the Sub Grand Master podium position as 116 K1 finisher, in a time of 11:23 (Dabs) and the first finishing K2 from Gauteng was manned by Lowveld Croc paddlers Craig Lewis and Wihan Venter, who finished as 10th Veterans in 11:35, as the 21st K2 finishers, while Raymond Rorich and Nadine Norval (CEN) finished as the first Gauteng Mixed Doubles pair, in a time of 12:22 over the 120km and 3 days of tough conditions!
Well done to ALL who finished – a number were first timers taking on the challenge with great intrepidation – a FINISH is good!
Jennie Dallas
for GCU PR