Germany dominates the Canoe Sprint Olympic events; Hungarian Danuta Kozak wins triple gold

Just before the curtain falls on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games all the Canoe Sprint Olympic Champions are known. The 29-year-old Danuta Kozak (HUN) was the first name of the competitions in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. She won three gold medals in Rio de Janeiro. In addition she also has medals from the Olympic Games in Beijing and London which lists her on the second place of the most successful canoe sprint athletes of the Olympic Games, just behind Birgit Fischer (GER). Not only that – Danuta Kozak is the first canoe sprint athlete in history to win three gold medals at the same Olympic Games. Apart from Kozak’s excellent performances German Canoe Sprint team dominated the last week of the Games in Brazil, winning medals in seven out of twelve events.

Germany already opened the first final races with a gold medal thanks to Sebastian Brendel who defended his C1M 1000m Olympic Champion title from London 2012. Brazilian Isaquias Queiroz Dos Santos finished the 1000 metres C1 event in second place and Serghei Tarnovschi (MDA) was third. Soon after the race finished the information has been revealed Tarnovschi has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect. In case the suspension holds, the bronze medal might be later awarded to Russian Ilia Shtokalov.In the second final of the Olympic Games Danuta Kozak won her first medal in Brazil. In a pair with Gabriella Szabo she picked up gold in women’s K2 500 metres event, finishing the race ahead of German duo Franziska Weber – Tina Dietze and Karolina Naja – Beata Mikolajczyk (POL).Lisa Carrington (NZL) was the fastest in women’s K1 200m final. Marta Walczykiewicz (POL) was second and Inna Osipenko – Rodomska (AZE) third. Marcus Walz won the gold medal for Spain in men’s K1 1000 metres final, followed by Josef Dostal (CZE) and Roman Anoshkin (RUS).During the fourth competition day we saw additional four finals. Max Rendschmidt and Marcus Gross (GER) were the fastest in men’s K2 1000m final, Marko Tomičević and Milenko Zorić (SRB) were second in the same event, while Australian duo Ken Wallace – Lachlan Tame picked …

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