Plett paddler goes for golden stroke of glory

Timothy Twidle GARDEN ROUTE CORRESPONDENT

PLETTENBERG Bay‘s Michèle Eray has made it to the finals of the K4 kayak canoe sprint in the Beijing Olympics, and along with her three team-mates will compete in the 500 metre race today.

The K4 team – Eray, Carol Joyce, Nikki Mocke and Jen Hodson – came third in the heats on Monday, qualifying them for the final without having to compete in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Before leaving for the Olympics, Eray said she had taken part in qualifying races for more than two years. She grew up in Plettenberg Bay and took to water sports from an early age. After university, she started intensive training under the guidance of Robbie Hegedus, who had represented Hungary as a kayak canoeist.

Eray, who paddles at the front of the team as stroke, said yesterday: “Our race was a cracker. We had a great start and were with the Chinese the whole way, which is a first for us.

“I tried to set a nice high stroke rate and then, in the second phase of the race, tried to keep it up. It worked and, although the tunnel started closing in on me near the last 100m of the race, we held it together and pipped the Italians into fourth place. This is the first time we have beaten them and we saved it for when it mattered – the Olympics.”

Eray said she was worried about a lot of weeds in the water as the K4 has a long rudder and “was scared we would hook some before our start”.

“Luckily we stopped at a jetty just before the start line and Jen hopped out and sorted it. I don‘t think the other girls realize how much I stress about the boat‘s steering. A small piece of weed wedged between the rudder and the boat‘s hull makes it a lot harder to steer and one of my nightmares is to get us disqualified by going too close to the edge of the lane,” Eray said.

The young canoeist added she was in awe of the prowess of the athletes competing in Beijing.

“You have to understand that everyone here is so good. The selection process separated those who are fast from those who are fastest, so any race is tough.

“Kayak crews who were coming in the top six at the World Championships are struggling to make it through to the next round here.

“It‘s a fantastic feeling to line up against the cream of the crop, in front of so many people, at the greatest sporting event in the world. Every athlete here is a champion in their sport – the best. It‘s super hot.”

She said the opening ceremony was “awesome”, especially when the South African team came into the stadium singing Shosholoza (“pull together”).

Away from the hurly burly, Eray, who is with her family, has been enjoying the sights and sounds of Beijing, the Olympic Village and attending fixtures at other sporting disciplines.

“The Chinese are unbelievably organised, friendly and helpful. There are 70000 volunteers and they are very efficient. The Olympic Village rocks.

“I have been to the Chinese art centre, which was incredible. I watched the South African women‘s hockey team play China and the score didn‘t reflect the game. Our team played so well.”

Eray‘s parents, Colleen and Francois, who have lived in Plettenberg Bay for 25 years, travelled to China to watch their daughter compete in the greatest sporting extravaganza on Earth and to take in the experience of the Olympic Games.

“It‘s so great to have family and friends here watching. My father and I went to the women‘s three-metre springboard semi-finals (diving) at the Water Cube on Sunday.”

The final of the K4 kayak canoe sprint takes place at 10.20am local time and can be viewed on SuperSport channel 6 on DStv.

Yesterday, Eray and Bridgette Hartley also strove for a place in the final of the K2 500m race, but did not make it.

Hodson competes in the final of the solo women‘s K1 500m kayak canoe sprint at 10.20am local time tomorrow.