Hamish Lovemore Leads South Africa’s Medal Hopes at Canoe Marathon Worlds

Photo Credit: Paddle Worldwide

South Africa’s paddlers are chasing international honours in Argentina, with Hamish Lovemore Keegan Vogt among the names to watch.

Gualeguaychú, Argentina (23 October 2026) – South Africa will be looking to make waves at the 2026 Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gualeguaychú, Argentina, with Hamish Lovemore leading the charge across several events.

Lovemore faces a busy schedule, starting with Thursday’s short-course race, where he is expected to battle Denmark’s Mads Pedersen and Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta for a place on the podium. He will then contest the long-course K1 race on Saturday, setting up another potential showdown with Pedersen.

One of the most intriguing races comes on Sunday, when Lovemore teams up with schoolboy Keegan Vogt in the K2 event.

The pair already have a promising record together. Vogt stepped in as Lovemore’s partner at the South African Marathon Championships after Lovemore’s intended teammate fell ill, and they went on to win the event. They followed that up with second place at the SA K2 River Championship last month.

South Africa’s women also have medal potential. Former Junior World Champion Georgia Singe will compete in the U23 long-course event and partner Jade Wilson in the senior K2 race. The team also features three sets of siblings: Bella and Cody Stallard, Georgia and Jake Singe, and Sydney and Matthew Williams.

Meanwhile, South African masters paddlers have already delivered an impressive return, finishing their events with 14 medals, including five golds across the individual and K2 races.

Graham Monteith and Colin Simpkins secured a South African one-two in the men’s 65–69 K1 event, while Allison Hay, Clint Cook and Bridgitte Hartley also claimed individual gold medals. Theo Smit and American partner Karoly Magda won the men’s 70–74 K2 event.

The championships mark a changing chapter for South African canoeing, with legends Hank McGregor and Andy Birkett absent from this year’s team. Their combined World Championship medal tally stretches beyond 20, but the performances of Lovemore and Vogt suggest a new generation is ready to make its mark.

With established contenders, emerging talent and strong masters performances, South Africa has plenty to celebrate on the international paddling stage.