With Olympic qualification points now on the line, Hamish Lovemore gave South Africa plenty to celebrate at the opening World Cup regatta of the season.
Szeged, Hungary (12 May 2026) – South Africa’s canoe sprint season is off to a strong start after Hamish Lovemore powered his way onto the podium at the opening ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup regatta in Szeged, Hungary.
Lovemore was once again the standout performer in the South African team, collecting a bronze medal in the men’s 5 000m race on Sunday to close off an encouraging weekend of international racing.
The result was especially significant as the Szeged regatta marked the first World Cup event counting towards the new LA28 Olympic qualification ranking system, giving athletes an early opportunity to earn valuable points on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The South African paddler also showed his quality earlier in the weekend when he booked a place in the final of the Olympic-distance K1 1 000m event, eventually finishing ninth against a stacked international field.
The rest of the South African squad also gained valuable experience against some of the world’s best paddlers. Uli Hart finished 11th in the men’s 5 000m event, while Esti Olivier placed eighth in the women’s 200m B Final. Nicholas Weeks also reached a final, finishing seventh in the men’s 200m C Final after progressing through the earlier rounds. Meanwhile, Hart and Helen Jansen Van Vuuren narrowly missed out on finals after both exited in the semi-finals of their respective 1 000m events. Jansen van Vuuren later finished 24th in the women’s 5 000m race.
The South African team now shifts its focus to the next World Cup event in Brandenburg, Germany, taking place later this week.
Lovemore, Olivier, Weeks, Jansen van Vuuren and Chrisjan Coetzee will all be back in action as the build-up towards LA28 continues.
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