The shortened 48km first stage of the Berg River Canoe Marathon on Wednesday was a battle between pre-race favourites Adrián Boros of Hungary and former winner South African Graeme Solomon. On a chilly morning, in-form Boros, in his second appearance in the race, won the Paarl to Hermon stage by a whisker from Solomon. He scored a K2 victory at the European Marathon Championships last weekend, to announce himself as a major contender for honours in the Berg River race. Boros, who won the ICF Canoe Marathon K2 world title in 2015, was the first paddler to enter the Berg. He arrived early in the country to trip the four legs, giving himself the best possible chance of winning. The 26-year-old, who finished third on debut in 2016, clocked 3hr 45min 45sec, less than 2sec clear of 2001 champion Solomon and nearly 6min ahead of European counterpart Keith Moule. "I think my lighter weight proved decisive in beating Graeme today," Boros said. "Also, coming into the race following last weeke...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.