Yang Wenjun (L)?and Meng Guanliang advance straight to the final scheduled on Saturday.?[cnsphoto]

Chinese canoeing flatwater crew Yang Wenjun and Meng Guanliang got their title defence to a strong start on Tuesday, advancing straight to the final scheduled on Saturday.

The duo won the canoe double (C2) 500m heat one in one minute, 41.218 seconds, also faster than heat two winner Germany.

"We were a little conservative in the heat and I am confident for the final," Yang said shortly after the race.

"Our result are OK, but we didn't have a very good rhythm," said Meng. "The problem is small and I think we can improve in the final."

"The one who paddle well on the day will be the champion, but we have a better chance."

The two are strong favorites for the Beijing Games after winning two world cup races in June. They won the men's C2 500m race in a photo finish in Athens, giving China its first Olympic gold medal in the sport.

Meng took one year off after the National Games in 2005 and returned for the Beijing Games in October 2006, only to find he had to train harder to lose weight.

The 31-year-old was over 100 kilograms then, compared with less than 90kg in 2004.

He did not pair with Yang Wenjun until early this year. Chinese sports officials believed that the duo had a better chance of winning an Olympic gold when working together rather than contest in the singles.

"I returned because I could not resist the temptation of the Beijing Games, as one could have only one chance in his lifetime to compete in the Olympics on home water," Meng said earlier.

"If I missed the Games, I could regret it all through my life," he said. "I wanted to strive for a second Olympic gold and leave no regret for my sports career."

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)