Olympics: Germany men win canoe gold

Max Rendschmidt, Max Lemke, Jacob Schopf and Tom Liebscher-Lucz had just seen their female compatriots fall short but managed to hold off the challenge of Australia by the finest of margins to retain the 500 meter canoe sprint Olympic title on Thursday.

The German crew took the lead around the halfway point and managed to get over the line just 0.04 seconds ahead of their rivals. Spain, the early race leaders, took the bronze.

"It was great. We won, nothing else matters. We had a plan and they implemented it. Now we have to
enjoy it," said national team coach Arndt Hanisch.

A matter of minutes before that, the women, Paulina Paszek, Jule Hake, Pauline Jagsch and Sarah Brüssler, had come agonizingly close to a win of their own at the Nautical Stadium in Vaires-sur-Marne.

However, the New Zealand team just pipped the Germans at the post by a margin of 0.42 seconds. It is the third consecutive Games in which the female German crew has come in second in this event.

"That's the kind of start you want," said sporting director Jens Kahl. "It's nice when you start the first day [of canoeing at the Games] with gold and silver. That can only spur you on for the next few days."

The two medals confirm Germany as the leading Olympic nation in the sport. With several more finals to come, the hope in the country is that they continue to climb the medal table after a slow start.

mp/jt (DPA, AP)