Whatshot
Unbelievable finish ends memorable Dusi
Unbelievable finish ends memorable Dusi
An incredible end sprint saw Christie Mackenzie win her first FNB Dusi Crown from a valiant Tamika Haw while Andy Birkett fought illness to claim his ninth Dusi title at Blue Lagoon on Saturday afternoon.
The ladies race was always going to be a tight tussle into Durban with neither Mackenzie nor Haw giving an inch. The pair continued to match each other stroke for stroke right to the line where Mackenzie won a thrilling end sprint.
Day three consists of a number of tricky rapids but it is always defined by the infamous Burma Road portage. It was an enthralling battle of attrition as both paddlers took turns at the front on both the water and on the portages.
"It was a pretty nerve wracking day for me to be honest!" Mackenzie said. "Before the stage I told myself that I needed to keep it conservative and avoid making mistakes because I had made so many in the first two days.
In what was another unforgettable moment of day three, Olympic medallist Terence Parkin, who has cycled, run and swum over 1120km from Johannesburg to Durban for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, and his partner Mark Mulder were forced to walk the final 16km to the finish after they broke their boat. Parkin, who was in a moon boot after injuring his ankle running to the Dusi, walked on crutches while Mulder carried what was left of their boat and the pair swam across the line at Blue Lagoon. More information can be found at https://www.dusi.co.za

