SA's flatwater canoeists ready
2008-08-17 14:03
Beijing - The seven South African flatwater sprint canoeists start their Olympic campaign at the Shunyi regatta centre on Monday, anxious to start their racing after weeks of tapering and final preparations.
The biggest squad of South African sprinters ever to qualify for the Games, the team will field entries in the men's and women's K1 competitions, but also the first ever entries into the women's K2 and K4 and the men's C1 competitions.
East Rand ace Shaun Rubenstein has emerged as a genuine medal prospect at the end of a dedicated seven year campaign as a specialist K1 sprinter.
Rubenstein said: "If I can get my peak and all other aspects involved in having a perfect race right, I believe I'm good enough to win a medal."
Anchor for the women's K4
Similarly Jen Hodson has been rewarded for her decision to relocate from Pietermaritzburg to join Rubenstein under national coach Nandor Almasi, as she has in the past two seasons become a regular challenger for finals and medals on the World Cup circuit.
"Realistically there are six or seven girls who can all medal on the day, and I include myself as one of these," said Hodson.
She is also the anchor for the women's K4 with Michele Eray, Carol Joyce and Nikki Mocke, helping them to qualify the first ever African women's K4 at the Olympic Games.
Eray will partner Bridgitte Hartley in the women's K2 competition.
Completing the South African challenge is the Benoni canoeist Calvin Mokoto, 19, who will become the first African to take part in the C1 competition, where the athletes kneel in the boat and use a single bladed paddle.
Personal interest in Mokoto's development
Rubenstein opens the South African teams' Olympic campaign on Monday afternoon in a 1 000m K1 heat that includes the reigning world champion Tim Brabants and Hungarian star Zoltan Benko, with the winner earning direct qualification for the final.
He will be followed by Mokoto, who will line up in the same men's 1 000 C1 heat as two champions, Spaniard David Cal and German Andreas Dittmer, who has taken a personal interest in Mokoto's development since meeting him on a training camp in South Africa several years ago.
Later in the afternoon the women's K4 has an opportunity to qualify directly for the A final, if they can finish in the top three in their heat. With China and Germany the strong favourites to take the top two places, the South Africans will have to beat Japan, and Italy to secure that precious place straight into the final.