SA canoeist Birkett reflects on recent bronze medal ahead of national champs
South African canoeist Andy Birkett told Eyewitness News that in marathon canoeing, South Africa has often been near the top of the international stage, adding that European paddlers all follow the country's local river races with envy.
South African canoeist Andy Birkett. Picture: @TeamSA2024/Twitter.
JOHANNESBURG – South African canoeist Andy Birkett recently won a bronze medal at the International Canoe Federation Marathon (ICF) World Cup in Ruse, Bulgaria, with Denmark’s Mads Pedersen and Portugal’s Jose Ramalho coming first and second respectively.
“It was a challenging trip for me on a few fronts but nevertheless an amazing opportunity to race against the world's best ahead of world championships. One thing I have to work on is the portage, the paddlers are standing up in their boats and jumping out whilst still moving onto a portage pontoon, something that is not easy when you get more fatigued,” said Andy Birkett.
In 2022, Birkett had two significant victories over two-time world champion Pedersen, beating him at the debut of the canoe marathon at the World Games in Birmingham, and then taking the world championship crown from him in Portugal.
“Each race is different, and I feel the buildup is always unique, but I try to take as much pressure off myself as possible and approach the race with the intention of just racing my own race,” said Birkett.
But earlier in June the tables were turned, and Pedersen snatched the gold.
Speaking on their on-water “rivalry” Birkett told Eyewitness News that Pedersen was a tough athlete and an all-round great guy. “I actually got to know Mads quite well in Ruse, and he is a great guy, I have a lot of respect for him. A tough athlete and super competitive. We had dinner together after our race and shared a few laughs, which I think is how it should be.”
Birkett has won the Dusi Canoe Marathon the race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban’s Blue Lagoon 10 times.
He is also the K1 defending champion. A K1 is a racing-level kayak used on flat water such as deep rivers and lakes. They are long and narrow to reduce drag which makes them extremely unstable.
“Our national marathon selection race is on the 16th of June; World Champs is at the end of August. I was a bit ill in Ruse which should be gone by our selection race. With less than two weeks from Ruse to our national selection race there is not much time to change anything but just to recover and practice the course.”
Birkett told**Eyewitness News **that in marathon canoeing, South Africa has often been near the top of the international stage, adding that European paddlers all follow SA’s local river races with envy. "I feel the success in growing our sport lies in getting children involved and exposing them to our amazing sport. We need to get more schoolkids into canoeing."
Birkett - who is much loved and highly regarded in the canoe marathon community - is also a seven-time Drak Challenge record holder, U23 World Marathon gold medalist, senior K1 World Marathon Gold medalist, Senior K2 gold Medalist with four World Cup Gold Medals.
The World Games champion advises those who want to follow in his footsteps to hang in there but to also enjoy the sport.
“I was not a great paddler for a long time, hang in there and persevere. Our sport has so many disciplines, river, sea and marathon racing which are all so much fun, give them all a try and enjoy it.”