GYOR (Hungary) – Borg vs McEnroe; Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic; Frazier vs Ali; Manchester United vs Liverpool; India vs Australia; All Blacks vs Springboks; Senna vs Prost … all some of the great rivalries that have excited sports fans all over the world. Now canoeing has Lovemore vs Pedersen developing into a rivalry to match those great sporting battles.
South African Hamish Lovemore and Denmark’s Mads Pedersen have clashed three times over the past month with major international medals on the line each time, and they will face off twice more in the culmination of an epic international season of rivalry between the current two top marathon paddlers in the world.
After Pedersen narrowly earned two gold medals at the World Games, and a third in the 5 000m event at the World Sprint Championships, Lovemore is keen to turn the tables when they face off twice more in the ultimate test of long-distance canoeing at the ICF Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary, which takes place from Thursday until Sunday.
Lovemore will be hoping to grab his first gold against Pedersen in the 3.6km short-course race on Thursday and then double up in the 29km long-course event on Saturday. There can be little doubt the Lovemore vs Pedersen clashes are the most eagerly awaited races at the championships, with Pedersen no longer expecting an easy cruise to two more medals at marathon canoeing’s showpiece regatta.
The in-form Dane is surely the favourite. He has picked up nine medals in the last five World Championships – four gold and a bronze in the long event, and one gold and three silvers in the short-course races. He has won a medal in every World Championships race he has entered over the past five years, and in the 2023 and 2024 long-course races he dominated to such an extent that he won both by more than two minutes.
However, Lovemore has been edging closer and this year has been the only paddler able to put any pressure on his Danish rival as he was only narrowly beaten in all their clashes over the past few weeks. His growth from a talented river paddler to a flatwater sprint and marathon specialist over the past two years has been remarkable, and he has a chance to add two more gold medals to the 10 South Africans have won in senior men’s K1 races at Marathon World Championships.
South Africa has a big 23-person team in Gyor and Lovemore is not the only competitor who will be hoping for a medal. Others who could be in line for some hardware include three-time World Champion Andy Birkett, who will be the second SA paddler in the long-course K1 race, as well as 11-time World Champion Hank McGregor (seven K1 and four K2), who will be partnering Uli Hart in the K2 race and hoping to improve on their fifth position from 12 months ago in Croatia.
Saskia Hockly could add another medal to those she has won as a junior, U23 and last year in senior K2 when she paddles the U23 long-course K1 and senior K2 with Pippa McGregor, while the junior and U23 races have always offered a sprinkling of medals in recent years and could do so again.
Thursday is mostly 3.6km short-course races in K1s for junior, men and women, with long-course 18km to 29km races on Friday to Sunday for juniors, under 23s, men and women in K1s and K2s.
The World Championships runs on from the Masters World Championships at the same venue, and South Africa’s ageing paddlers once again picked up a healthy collection of gold medals over the past two days. Former Springbok Graham Monteith started things off in the first event with victory in the 65-69 age group race, while Michael Stewart (55-59), McGregor (45-49) and Bridgitte Hartley (40-44) added to the tally in single boats.
In the K2 races, Riccardo Talevi and Japan’s Lajos Gyökös won the 45-49 age group, before McGregor and his wife Pippa claimed the mixed K2 title in the 35-44 category by beating Hartley and Talevi into second place.
Master World Championships
SA Medal Results
Men’s K1
65-69: 1st Graham Monteith
55-59: 1st Michael Stewart, 2nd Gustav Radloff
45-49: 1st Hank McGregor
Women’s K1
40-44: 1st Bridgitte Hartley, 3rd Pippa McGregor
Men’s K2
65-74: 3rd Chris Visser & David Berglund (Aus)
45-54: 1st Riccardo Talevi & Lajos Gyökös (Jpn)
Mixed K2
35-44: 1st Pippa & Hank McGregor, 2nd Bridgitte Hartley & Riccardo Talevi
65-74: 2nd Theo Smit & Gitte Karshøj (Den)
SA Team & Events
K1 Men Short Course: Hamish Lovemore; Uli Hart
K1 Men: Hamish Lovemore; Andy Birkett
K2 Men: Hank McGregor & Uli Hart; Clint Cook & Nicolas Notten
K1 Women Short Course: Nix Birkett; Jenna Nisbett
K1 Women: Nix Birkett
K2 Women: Jenna Nisbett & Jade Wilson; Saskia Hockly & Pippa McGregor
K1 Men U23: Sam Butcher; Matt Coetzer
K1 Women U23: Saskia Hockly; Jade Wilson
K1 Men Junior Short Course: Jared Shrimpton; Ryley Smith
K1 Men Junior: Cody Stallard; Keegan Vogt
K2 Men Junior: Jarryd Cole & Cody Stallard; Keegan Vogt & Ryley Smith
K1 Women Junior Short Course: Hana Newlands; Isabella Strydom
K1 Women Junior: Alayah Krogscheepers; Isabella Strydom
K2 Women Junior: Alayah Krogscheepers & Emma Privett; Hana Newlands & Tayla Norton