Seven SA Paddlers Slay the Dragon Run in Hong Kong:
Men’s podium, 1st Hank McGregor (RSA), 2nd Cory Hill (Aus), 3rd Sean Rice (RSA), 4th Matt Bouman(RSA), 5th Dawid Mocke (RSA), 6th Caine Eckstein (Aus), 7th Kenny Rice (RSA) Photo: Dragon Run
GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, 15 NOVEMBER 2016 – Seven of the top ten paddlers who raced the elite Dragon Run in Hong Kong on Saturday 14th November were South African paddlers, showing the world that South Africans are best in breed when it comes to paddling the world’s oceans.
Jeep Team athlete Hank McGregor continued his world domination, winning the Dragon Run title, thereby also earning himself enough points to claim the World Surfki Series Title uncontested.
To win the Dragon Run, McGregor (38) had a neck-to-neck 23km ocean battle with the reigning ICF World Surfski Champion, Australian Cory Hill (27), but powered through the finish to secure his third win in the race’s history by a mere 18 seconds.
The South African paddlers who finished in top 10 were Hank McGregor (1st), Sean Rice (3rd) and Kenny Rice (7th), Matt Bouman (4th) Dawid Mocke (5th), Jasper Mocke (8th), and Ian Black (10th). Jeep Team athlete, Barry Lewin, placed 11th.
Said Hank McGregor. “I am really happy to be able to defend my title here in Hong Kong against such a top class field. It was a ding-dong battle between myself and Cory (Hill) and I was really happy to be able pull it off right at the end.”
McGregor faces his final race of the year on the 26th of November in Perth Australia. Hailed as the world’s premier and biggest ocean downwind paddling race, The Perth Doctor, is Australia’s most exciting ocean paddling event from Rottnest Island to Sorrento Beach covering 27.5kms (or vice versa depending on wind conditions).
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
MEN
1.Hank McGregor RSA 1:32:30
2.Cory Hill AUS 1:32:48
3.Sean Rice RSA 1:34:03
4.Matt Bouman RSA 1:35:21
5.Dawid Mocké RSA 1:36:35
6.Caine Eksteen AUS 1:36:55
7.Kenny Rice RSA 1:38:16
8.Jasper Mocké RSA 1:39:47
9.Austen Kiefer USA 1:39:57
10.Ian Black RSA 1:40:19
WOMEN
1.Teneale Hatton NZL 1:52:47
2.Hayley Nixon RSA 1:53:20
3.Rachel Clark NZL 1:55:05
4.Jenna Ward RSA 1:55:08
5.Nikki Russell RSA 1:58:08
OTHER JEEP TEAM NEWS:
Triathlon
Rising Triathlete superstar, Mikaela Jonsson, is competing in the 2016 Snowy Mountains ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships (Under 19’s) from the 17-20 November at Lake Crackenback, Snowy Mountains, Australia. This is Mikaela’s final junior year as an Under 19 athlete.
Australia’s spectacular Snowy Mountains venue in NSW, is being held at the beautiful Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa in the heart of the Snowies.
Located in the heart of Australia’s High County, and starting at an altitude of 1100m with Australia’s highest peak, Mt Kosciusko as the backdrop, this Championship multisport weekend will challenge athletes of all levels.
The course includes some of the best fast and flowing single track mountain bike trails, and gritty off road running trails found anywhere in Australia.
Jonsson’s Junior U19 race consists of a 500m swim in the cold 16-20 degree Lake Crackenback, a 12km MTB, which will be two 6km laps comprising approx. 80% grippy, flowing single track, rocky paths, bridges, rock gardens and creek crossings, and finish off with a 3.3km trail run, a technically challenging course even though there are no mammoth hills, there are energy-sapping constant short, punchy climbs and descents with creek crossings, a river run, a suspension bridge, obstacles, rock scrambles and some true off road terrain.
Obstacle Course Racing
OCR Athletes Thomas Van Tonder, Carina Marx, Jay Jay Deysel and Joshua Masudi face the final 8th round of the Jeep Warrior Series at Legends MX in Pretoria from 19-20th November. The seeding going into the final race in the series presents many ‘what if’s’ for the final race.
Although Thomas van Tonder is leading the Black Ops Elite series title race quite comfortably, the possibility remains that either Greg Avierinos, Bradley Classe, or even Jay Jay Deysel could take the series win with the extra 4000 points if van Tonder doesn’t finish his race or is disqualified. The more relaistic fight is between 2nd and 3rd podium between the 3 men, and it could be any of them.
A real race to the end could be between Jeep Team’s Carina Marx and ex-Jeep Team mate, Dominque d’Oliveria, for 3rd spot on the series podium.
Marx is on 14 980 points and D’Oliveria is on 14 429 points. Leading female, Hanneke Dannhauser, has a perfect score with 5 wins (best 5 results) and 20 000 points so she is untouchable, with Trish Bahlmann in second with 18082 points.
Let the battles begin!
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