K-1, women, 5000 m

What to remember

On 10 May 2009, at a World Cup race in Račice, Czech Republic, South Africa's Bridgitte Hartley covered the 5000 m in a K-1 in 20 min 10.1 s.

That same year she won bronze in the K-1 1000 m at the World Championships in Dartmouth, becoming the first person from South Africa, and from the African continent, to win a medal at the Canoe Sprint World Championships. She added bronze in the K-1 500 m at the 2012 London Olympics, and another world medal in Moscow in August 2014.

Born in Sandton, she also raced at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in the K-2 500 m, and at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.