Chad Ho runs up the slipway to claim a record fourth consecutive win at the aQuellé Midmar Mile. Photo: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media
Howick – It was a day of records at the aQuellé Midmar Mile as Chad Ho became the races biggest winner, Ashley Twichell became the first US champion and the event broke its own record as the world’s biggest open water swim on its 40th anniversary.
Ho, the 22-year-old Westville star, led the men’s race from the gun and took the early hotspot comfortably. However Troyden Prinsloo surged into contention at the halfway mark and was swimming at the hip of the champion.
Ho stuck to his game plan and once he bagged the last hotspot at the 1 200m mark, he shifted a gear to drop Prinsloo and romp home to claim a popular win.
As he crossed the line he blew a kiss to his late grandmother, who he said had been in his thoughts throughout the race.
“I knew I had some good speed coming into the race,” said Ho. “I’ve been doing a lot of speed work in training, so if I was in the front I could kick down and take it to the finish.
“To get three in a row was a big achievement and it was a goal I was after. I said I wanted to go for four. Now that I’ve got four, maybe I can win a fifth next year.”
Prinsloo finished second, 11 seconds behind Ho and admitted he had been beaten by the better man on the day.
“I tried to chase Chad. I tried to pass him, but he just had better speed than me today.”
Danie Marais finished in a very strong third place. Like Ho and Prinsloo, his forte is open water swimming, but Marais is also a 10km specialist, so was delighted with his swim over the much shorter mile.
Victory in the women’s race for Los Angeles-based Twichell was sweet revenge for her narrow loss to Payne last year when she was outsprinted up the slipway to the finish by the British star.
“That was definitely a lot of motivation,” Twichell said after a convincing victory in 19 minutes and seven seconds, 15 seconds clear of Payne.
“Last year was a really close race and I got touched out in a few big races. So, I was trying to get far enough ahead because I didn’t want it to be a close finish.”
MIDMAR MILE 2013
MEN
1. Chad Ho 17:57
2. Troyden Prinsloo 18:08
3. Danie Marais 18:09
4. Mark Randall 18:33
5. Matthew Mark Meyer 18:55
6. Myles Brown 18:56
7. Henri Schoeman 18:58
8. Darien Townsend 19:01
9. Chris McGlynn 19:05
10. Sebastian Roualt 19:13
WOMEN
1. Ashley Twichell 19:04
2. Kerry Anne Payne 19:21
3. Michelle Weber 19:29
4. Katinka Hosszu 19:56
5. Rene Warnes 20:05
6. Kyna Pereira 20:12
7. Carmen le Roux 20:32
8. Megan Kate Stephens 20:42
9. Clarice le Roux 20:56
10. Nicole Brits 21:01
