Paddler gets dunked in medals
2005-04-21
IF there’s a guy who can fight his way through, over, and sometimes even under, some seriously turbid water, it’s Michael Watson of Paarl.
Watson, a member of the Paarl Canoe Club, recently clinched the junior trophy at the SA Slalom Champs after winning the junior slalom event and securing a bronze medal in the SA White Water Championships that was held on the Bushmans River in KwaZulu
Natal over the Easter weekend.
Watson started slalom last year whilst on exchange at Ivanhoe in Melbourne, Australia.
Having the advantage of a background in sprint and marathon canoeing, he made it into the team for the Victoria provincial championships. Here he came fifth in the slalom and second in the white water event.
On his return to Bridge House he continued with the new canoeing discipline being fortunate to train with Cameron McIntosh, one of the few slalom kayaking Olympians to have come out of South Africa, and currently finishing his medical degree at Stellenbosch.
Together they built a course on the Berg River just downstream from the school.
After training through the drought on just 2 to 3 cumecs (with supplementation from Theewaterskloof) they went up for the KwaZulu-Natal Championships on the Umzimkulu in Underberg.
Flowing at 18 cumecs, Michael had to adjust to the conditions but nevertheless came second.
The SA’s was the following weekend on the Bushmans River in Escourt flowing at between 24 and 26 cumecs following heavy showers.
The 17-year-old Watson also won the 200m canoeing event for u.18 boys at the WP Sprint Championships that was held on Sunday and also came third in the 500m.
Paarl paddler, Paul Lombard of Paarl Boys’ High, also competed at the championships, winning the 500m for u.21 men and also coming second in the 200m.
Watson who competes in the K1-class and two development kayakers from KZN who won the C1 division have been put forward to go to the Junior World Championships in July pending the donation of funds.
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