South African Canoe Marathon team that has been selected to compete in the World Canoe Marathon Championships to be held in Spain from 22 to 26th September, 2010.

The team includes 13 paddlers from the W.C.C.U.

They are:

U18 Women.

Melanie van Niekerk - Milnerton Canoe Club - K1 (single canoe)

U18 Men.

Ivan Kruger - Milnerton Canoe Club - K2 (double canoe with Brandon van der Walt - GAU),.

               Joseph Williams and Diviano Pieterson  - both Paarl Canoe Club (K2 - double canoe).

U23 Men.

Lance King - Milnerton Canoe Club - K1 (single canoe)

U23 Women.

Bianca Beavitt - Milnerton Canoe Club - K1 (single canoe)

Senior Men,

Graeme Solomon - Peninsula Canoe Club - K2 (double canoe with Amt Stott, KZN).

Ernest van Riet and Heinrich Schloms - Maties and Paarl Canoe Clubs - K2 (double canoe).

Senior Women.

Lindi-May Harmse - Milnerton Canoe Club - K2 (double canoe with Abby Adie, KZN).

Masters categories.

Sub Grandmasters.

Rob Maclean - Peninsula Canoe Club - K1 (single canoe)

Rob Maclean and Andre' Rabie - Peninsula and Paarl Canoe Clubs - K2 (double canoe).

Grandmasters.

Roelof van Riet - Milnerton Canoe Club - K1 (single canoe).

Of interest, Melanie van Niekerk, Ivan Kruger, Joseph Williams, Diviano Pietersen are 1st time National Colours winners for marathon in the U18 category.

Lance King and Bianca Beavitt are 1st time National Colours winners in the U23 age group category.

Ernest van Riet and Heinrich Schloms are 1st time winners of National Colours in the Senior men's category.

In addition, Ernest joins his father Roelof, a former Springbok canoeist and now, an S.A. Grandmasters selection, in the same team. Ernest,  already a member of that elite' canoeing family of van Riets', now joins his father (Roelof), two uncles (Willem and Enslin) and a cousin (Willem jnr) in winning his National canoe colours. This is a unique South African record.

Lindi-May Harmse is the elder daughter of South African canoeing icon and Springbok canoeist, Andre' Collins.

As they say - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!