UMGWEDLI waKwaZulu-Natal, uMsawenkosi Mtolo olale isibili kwiMyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon ka-2023, uthi unethemba elikhulu lokuthi uzogcine ewunqobile umjaho. Sekuphele iminyaka eminingi abampisholo behluleka ukudla kuwo lubhedu emjahweni.
Umjaho wokugwedla izikebhe othatha izinsuku izintathu futhi obugwedlwa ngohlobo lwe-K1(ukugwedla ngamunye), nonyaka uqale ngoLwesine eBishopstowe, eMgungundlovu, wasongwa izolo, eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini.
UMtolo ulale isibili ngesikhathi esingu-07:21:43, elandela u-Andy Birkett odle umhlanganiso ngesikhathi esingu-07:15:42, isithathu sathathwa nguDavid Evans ngo-07:24:29.
UBirkett osakhonye njalo kwiDusi, ubenqoba ihlandla lesithupha kwi-K1, kanti usenqobe amahlandla ayisikhombisa kwi-K2 kusukela ngo-2010.
Kwathi kwabesifazane umhlanganiso wadliwa nguChristie Mackenzie ngesikhathi esingu-08:19:25, isibili sathathwa nguBridgitte Hartley ngo-08:47:27, isithathu kwaba nguJordan Peek ngo-08:56:48.
UMtolo uphuma isibili nje, ngo-2021 waphuma isithathu kwi-K1 isibili sathathwa nguKhumbulani Nzimande, kwathi nyakenye waphuma isithathu kwi-K2 (kugwedla ngababili) egwedla noThulani Mbanjwa.
Kweyakulo nyaka ubelokhu ejahane noBirkett kusukela ngoLwesine ephuma isibili, okukhombisa okukhulu ukudlondlobala kulo mgwedli.
“Ngifunde lukhulu kuThulani Mbanjwa ngonyaka odlule ngenkathi ngigwedla ndawonye naye siphuma endaweni yesibili. Ngabe sengimtshela (uMbanjwa) ukuthi ngizolwela ukwenza kangcono kakhulu kwi-K1 yakulo nyaka, nokungithokozisayo wukuthi ngikwazile ukuthatha indawo yesibili.
“Lokhu kunginika ithemba lokuthi akusekude ngiyiwine iDusi. Nginethemba elikhulu lokuthi ngiyogcina ngiyiwinile kwi-K1, okuyisona sifiso sami esikhulu leso,” kusho umgwedli ekhuluma nabezindaba emuva komjaho.
Empeleni, iningi labagwedli abampisholo sebeke badalula ukuthi ukuntula uxhaso nezinsiza kusebenza ezisezingeni ngezinye zezingqinamba ezinkulu kubona. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi kukhonye abmhlophe emjahweni weDusi, kungekhona ukuthi bona (abampisholo) abanalo ikhono, njengoba ekhombisile uMtolo emjahweni wakulo nyaka.