Canoe/kayak races on flatwater courses in day four featured one big shock for Germany and one surprise win for the host country China in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on Thursday.
In the semifinals of six boat classes of the day, the first event proceeded as expected, with Canadian paddler van Koeverden Adam, the world best time holder, winning in the first group of men's kayak single (K1) 500m. He finished the whole race with one minute and 42.438 seconds.
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Adam van Koeverden of Canada competes in the semifinal 1 of the men's kayak single (K1) 500m at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Adam van Koeverden ranked first in the semifinal 1 and was qualified for the final.
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He created a new world best time by finishing the heat race with a result of one minute and 35.554 seconds on Tuesday. The last world best time for the event is one minute and 35.63 seconds, a result he created in Poland earlier this year.
The second event, men's canoe single (C1) 500m, brought a shock to all the people on the venue. The defending champion Andreas Dittmer from Germany ranked fourth in the semifinal and thus failed to gain the final berth.
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Chinese canoeist Li Qiang competes in the canoe single (C1) 500m men semifinal of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Canoe/Kayak Flatwater event in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Li Qiang was qualified for final match.
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"I don't feel 100 per cent fit. I'm not sure if the problem is in my training. It's the first time I haven't made a final," he told reporters in the mixed zone after the race.
On whether he is too old to compete, the 36-year-old paddler said: "You could say that." As for his expectations for the canoe single (C1) 1000m he is also participating, he said: "I'm not expecting anything special. I don't know if I can give anymore."
Hungarian paddler Attila Sandor Vajda won the second group of the semifinal in the event.