Ivulwe uBirkett noKhwela iDusi yosuku lokuqala
Isithombe USBONELO Khwela (ophambili) noMsawenkosi Mtolo abalale isibili kwi-K2 yosuku lokuqala lweDusi Canoe Marathon ngoLwesine kusukwa eMgungundlovu kulo mjaho ozosongwa ngoMgqibelo eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini
Image: DUSI CANOE MARATHON FACEBOOK
LUSONGWE ngenothi eliphezulu usuku lokuqala lomjaho iDusi Canoe Marathon, ingqwele yalo mjaho kwabesilisa, u-Andy Birkett nomlingani wayo uMatthew Fenn, bephuma phambili ngoLwesine.
Laba bebehleziwe ezithendeni yinsephe, uSbonelo Khwela noMsawenkosi Mtolo, abalale isibili.
Kwabesifazane kuphume phambili u-Abby Solms ogwedla noRobyn Groeniknk, isibili kwaba uChristie Mackenzie noSaskia Hockly.
Lo mjaho wokugwedla izikebhe onedumela nogwedla izinsuku ezintathu, uqale eBishopstowe Hall, eMgungundlovu, wasongwa eDusi Bridge.
NgoLwesihlanu ekuseni uzoqala eDusi Bridge usongwe eNanda Dam, kuthi kusasa kukhukhulwe kubhekwe eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini, okuyilapho uzosongwa khona ngowamanqamu ngoMgqibelo.
UBirkett noFenn abangompetha banyakenye, ngosuku lokuqala baphume phambili ngesikhathi esingu-1:53:31, belandelwa uKhwela noMtolo ngesikhathi esingu-1:53:54, isithathu kwaba uBongani Ntinga noSandile Mtolo ngo-1:56:09.
Kwabesifazan uSolms noGroenink baphume phambili ngo-2:12:38, uMackenzie noHockly balala isibili ngo-2:15:00.
IDusi yanonyaka ingeyohlobo lwe-K2, lapho abagwedli begwedla ngababili ngokubambisana.
Nyakenye bekuyi-K1, umhlanganiso wadliwa nguBirket, isibili kwaba nguKhwela, isithathu kwaba uFenn.
Kwi-K2 ka-2024 umhlanganiso wadliwa nguye uBirkett noFenn, isibili kwaba nguKhwela noMtolo futhi.
Nakuba luselude ukhalo njengoba kusazogwedlwa izinsuku ezimbili, kubukeka kuthembisa kakhulu ngabagwedli abansundu abalokhu bekhombisa ukudlondlobala winyaka yonke.
Kwabayishumi abaphume phambili emjahweni wayizolo wosuku lokuqala, kugiye bona kusukela endaweni yesibili kuze kuyofika endaweni yeshumi lapho kuvale khona uMpendulo Mthethwa noSanele Mbanjwa.
Lokhu kwenza kubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi iyozala nkomoni emjahweni wosuku lwesibili namuhla nowokugcina wamanqamu kusasa.
Kwaqala ngo-2008 ukuthi umgwedli onsundu aphume phambili kulo mjaho kunqoba uThulani Mbanjwa owayegwedla noMartin Dreyer, kwalandela uKhwela (owayesabizwa ngoZondi) ngo-2014 egwedla naye uBirkett. Ngo-2020 kwaba uKhumbulani Nzimande naye owayegwedla nomakadebona uBirkett.