Miss-Delectable
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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=185&art_id=vn20060628012050684C881068
Johan Reyneke, a deaf cyclist from the Western Cape, has returned home after winning a gold medal at the World Deaf Cycling Championships held in the United States last weekend.
Reyneke, 22, of Worcester, took the gold in the cross-country long-distance mountain bike race, one of six events at the Championships.
Reyneke also competed in the sprint, time trial road race, and mountain bike short course events.
His compatriot, Terence Parkin, a silver-medallist swimmer in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, won the 120km road race, described as the flagship event.
The two South Africans - part of a team of five riders - combined won four medals in the competition that featured riders from 12 different countries. A manager, a coach and an interpreter accompanied the team on the trip, sponsored by Disabled Sports SA.
Reyneke finished the long-distance mountain bike race in 1 hour and 49 minutes, more than a minute faster than the runner-up from Slovakia.
The race was Reyneke's first international cycling competition, though he'd competed in the Xterra Triathlon in each of the last two years and completed several local races.
Jorg Reyneke, speaking for his son Johan, said his son had been training for the past eight months, riding through the hills of his hometown and along trails in the Du Toit's Kloof Pass. He had hired a trainer and developed a special training programme.
Though the hot climate in the northern California locations of the races made conditions especially taxing for most riders, Jorg said being from South Africa was advantageous for his son because he was "more used to the weather than the guys from Europe (were)".
Jorg also said his son built up his lead during the downhill stages.
One of the challenges Johan faced was the inability to hear riders coming up behind him. Jorg said deaf riders "must be very visually oriented and rely very much on... sight" to avoid collisions.
Road races also pose much greater risks for deaf riders, as they are unable to hear traffic and cannot easily communicate with one another.
Johan Reyneke, a deaf cyclist from the Western Cape, has returned home after winning a gold medal at the World Deaf Cycling Championships held in the United States last weekend.
Reyneke, 22, of Worcester, took the gold in the cross-country long-distance mountain bike race, one of six events at the Championships.
Reyneke also competed in the sprint, time trial road race, and mountain bike short course events.
His compatriot, Terence Parkin, a silver-medallist swimmer in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, won the 120km road race, described as the flagship event.
The two South Africans - part of a team of five riders - combined won four medals in the competition that featured riders from 12 different countries. A manager, a coach and an interpreter accompanied the team on the trip, sponsored by Disabled Sports SA.
Reyneke finished the long-distance mountain bike race in 1 hour and 49 minutes, more than a minute faster than the runner-up from Slovakia.
The race was Reyneke's first international cycling competition, though he'd competed in the Xterra Triathlon in each of the last two years and completed several local races.
Jorg Reyneke, speaking for his son Johan, said his son had been training for the past eight months, riding through the hills of his hometown and along trails in the Du Toit's Kloof Pass. He had hired a trainer and developed a special training programme.
Though the hot climate in the northern California locations of the races made conditions especially taxing for most riders, Jorg said being from South Africa was advantageous for his son because he was "more used to the weather than the guys from Europe (were)".
Jorg also said his son built up his lead during the downhill stages.
One of the challenges Johan faced was the inability to hear riders coming up behind him. Jorg said deaf riders "must be very visually oriented and rely very much on... sight" to avoid collisions.
Road races also pose much greater risks for deaf riders, as they are unable to hear traffic and cannot easily communicate with one another.