This week, SASCOC (South African Olympic Commitee) decided that Tiffany Kruger, African Champion on the K1 200 at the African Games 2011 in Maputo (Mozambique), will be the second representative of her country at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, after Bridgitte Hartley, already qualified for the K1 500 after her performance at the Szeged World Campionships last year. On the other hand, no other paddler will be at the Olympics, so all hopes are gone for people like Greg Louw, Shaun Rubenstein, Nick Stubbs or Michael
Arthur.The social networks have seen comments on every side since last Tuesday's decision, as many people consider that Greg Louw, for instance, had a true chance after winning also the African title with 37 seconds, which is a very closed time to those entering the A final at the Worlds. He also, together with Shaun Rubenstein, Nick Stubbs and Michael Arthur, got a sixth position in the A final on the 4x200 relay in Szeged.
But, the decision is taken so the young Tiffany Kruger will face her first Olympics aiming to become more internationally experienced and then become a true option for future World Champs and even Río Olympics in 2016. Bridgitte Hartley will then concentrate in the K1 500, the only distance she will paddle and where she hopes to be in the A final with the true chance of a medal, after being out at Szeged but then win the B final with better time than the gold medalist.
Anyway, apart from comments remembering that Hartley have beaten this year Kruger on 200 metres by a full boat, or that leaving Louw out means that there will be other African representatives at London much slower than the South Africans, Tiffany Kruger, which obviously has no fault on SASCOC decision, is stoked with her olympic passport and receiving massive congratulations all over the country. From Elite Kayak, we also want to congratulate her and wish the best of lucks for these remaining months of hard training and exciting olympic action. Cheers!!!
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