German men's and women's kayak teams take gold
The German women's and men's kayak teams paddled their way to gold medals within minutes of each other on Friday at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Fanny Fischer, Nicole Reinhardt (who recently posed for the September edition of German Playboy), Katrin Wagner-Augustin and Conny Wassmuth gave Germany their fourth Olympic kayak four 500m crown, winning by 74-hundredths of a second in 1:32.971. Hungary captured silver and bronze went to Australia.
“We were so composed and dashed so far ahead – it was really awesome,” Wagner-Augustin told news agency DPA.
Shortly thereafter Martin Hollstein and Andreas Ihle battled to come from behind and win a 1.771-second victory over Denmark’s Kim Wraae Knudsen and Rene Holten Paulsen in the men’s kayak double 1000m final. The Danes took silver, and Italy took bronze in the event.
“It was such a hard race, but we kept our cool,” Hollstein said. “Definitely the race of my life.”
“Three Olympic Games – gold – third time lucky. The first time fourth, the second time second, the third time, first was going to happen,” teammate Ihle said.
The two gold medals give Germany a total of 13 victories at the Olympic games so far in Beijing.
Meanwhile, German canoer Tomasz Wylenzek was rushed to the hospital after taking a silver medal in the 1000-metre men's double with his teammate Christian Gille. Wylenzek suffered what the Gemans call a "circulatory collapse," which sounds serious, but to the rest of the world simply means that he fainted.
afp/dpa
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Fanny Fischer, Nicole Reinhardt (who recently posed for the September edition of German Playboy), Katrin Wagner-Augustin and Conny Wassmuth gave Germany their fourth Olympic kayak four 500m crown, winning by 74-hundredths of a second in 1:32.971. Hungary captured silver and bronze went to Australia.
“We were so composed and dashed so far ahead – it was really awesome,” Wagner-Augustin told news agency DPA.
Shortly thereafter Martin Hollstein and Andreas Ihle battled to come from behind and win a 1.771-second victory over Denmark’s Kim Wraae Knudsen and Rene Holten Paulsen in the men’s kayak double 1000m final. The Danes took silver, and Italy took bronze in the event.
“It was such a hard race, but we kept our cool,” Hollstein said. “Definitely the race of my life.”
“Three Olympic Games – gold – third time lucky. The first time fourth, the second time second, the third time, first was going to happen,” teammate Ihle said.
The two gold medals give Germany a total of 13 victories at the Olympic games so far in Beijing.
Meanwhile, German canoer Tomasz Wylenzek was rushed to the hospital after taking a silver medal in the 1000-metre men's double with his teammate Christian Gille. Wylenzek suffered what the Gemans call a "circulatory collapse," which sounds serious, but to the rest of the world simply means that he fainted.
afp/dpa
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