SEVENTH OVERALL WIN
Andy Birkett rubs shoulders with Dusi greats
The defending champion secures his fourth straight Dusi Canoe Maratho win
Defending champion Andy Birkett was in a league of his own as he won the three-day Dusi Canoe Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Saturday in 8h 32min 55sec. His fourth straight win and seventh overall in eight years of paddling, places the 26-year-old KwaZulu-Natal ace joint second with "Dusi Duke" Martin Dreyer on the all-time list of most wins behind the late Graeme Pope-Ellis, who won 15 titles. Euro Steel’s Birkett, who completed his first Dusi at the age of 13, led from day one and increased his lead on the final two stages to cross the finishing line at the Blue Lagoon more than 20 minutes ahead of runner-up Sbonelo Khwela. "The win was special because of the tough conditions, especially on days two and three," said Birkett. "But overall, [I had] a solid performance. I think I handled the pressure that comes with being the defending champion better than I expected." Euro Steel/Red Bull’s Khwela was second for his best placing yet. He had high hopes of challenging for ...
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