Canadian podium hopes Oldershaw, van Koeverden won't paddle for medals in 1,000m
Sprint canoeist and medal hopeful Mark De Jonge will race Friday
By Pete Evans, CBC Sports
All four Canadian canoe and kayak teams competing Monday moved on to the semifinals in their respective events, but all four failed to qualify for the medal round in those races.
Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont. paddled his way into the semis of the K-1 1,000-metres kayak race at the Rio Olympics. But in that race, he appeared to miss a stroke off the start, and couldn't catch up, finishing 6th.
"I hesitated in the first stroke, but it's 1000 metres, I've caught up before," he told the CBC after the race.
"[But] I couldn't catch up," he said "I tried three or four times and floored the gas."
You can't miss what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAN?src=hash">#CAN</a> Adam van Koeverden had to say after the kayak sprint SF. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash">#Rio2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK">https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK</a> <a href="https://t.co/q98VOC8cMO">https://t.co/q98VOC8cMO</a>
—@CBCOlympicsHe'll race Tuesday in the B final, out of the medals.
The 34-year-old won gold and bronze at the 2004 Olympics before capturing back-to-back silver medals in 2008 and 2012.
In the men's C-1 1,000-metre canoe sprint Canada's Mark Oldershaw was also eliminated from medal contention when he finished in fourth in his semifinal.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAN?src=hash">#CAN</a> Mark Oldershaw caught up with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCOlympics?src=hash">#CBCOlympics</a> after the 1,000m canoe sprint SF <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash">#Rio2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK">https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK</a> <a href="https://t.co/fEaQW8oO52">https://t.co/fEaQW8oO52</a>
—@CBCOlympics"Obviously extremely disappointed, but it wasn't because I didn't fight for it," he told the CBC. "I don't know what else I could have done."
The 33-year-old from Burlington, Ont. was a bronze medallist at the distance at the 2012 Olympics in London. He'll get one more chance at a medal at these games, however, as he's competing in the 200m sprint on Wednesday.
Women move on B finals
K.C. Fraser of Oakville, Ont., and Genevieve Orton of Lake Echo, N.S., failed to win their heat in the women's K-2, 500m so had to go to the semifinals, where they did not finish high enough to move on to the A final on Tuesday where medals will be awarded.
Quebec City's Andreanne Langlois placed third in the women's K-1, 200 metres, but then fifth in her semifinal so she'll race Tuesday in the B final.
It may have been a disappointing day on the water for Canadian paddlers, but there are more Canadians set to compete in different canoe and kayak events later in the week.
Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane will race in the men's K-2 200-metre sprint on Wednesday, and Mark de Jonge, a bronze medalist four years ago, will go in the K-1 200-metre sprint on Friday.
The women's team of Fraser, Orton, Langlois and Emilie Fournel will race the same day in the women's K-4 500-metre race.
Fournel will also race in the K-1 500-metre sprint on Wednesday.
With files from The Canadian Press