Olympics-Canoe Sprint-Paddlers look to boost medal counts in final events
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Brazil's Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos will chase his third Olympic medal on Saturday, competing with teammate Erlon de Souza Silva in the men's C-2 1000m during the final day of canoe sprint events at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.
Queiroz dos Santos, 22, who took the 2015 world championship title in the C-2 500-meters, faces his best shot at securing gold after winning silver and bronze earlier this week in the C-1 1000 meters and C-1 200 meters respectively.
"I am feeling good, physically and mentally good," Queiroz dos Santos told Reuters through a translator. "I think the first two medals have given me extra motivation to go for a third."
Queiroz dos Santos, who endured childhood traumas including a brief abduction at age five, has emerged as a local hero, regularly prompting wild cheers from Brazilian fans at the canoeing venue.
In the women's K-4 500-meter event, Hungarian Danuta Kozak will help defend her country's Olympic gold title, while battling for a rare triple gold in a single Games.
She previously struck gold in the K-1 500m and K-2 500m here in Rio.
Kozak is already one of her country's most decorated Olympians and a medal of any color Saturday would be her sixth total.
Other medal events on Saturday include the men's K-1 200m and the men's K-4 1000m.
The canoe sprint events close on something of a sour note, following the provisional doping suspension of Moldovan canoeist Serghei Tarnovschi.
Tarnovschi won bronze in Tuesday's men's C-1 1000m, but was later revealed to have failed a pre-Games doping test. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in Rio de Janeiro; additional reporting by Joshua Schneyer; editing by Jan Harvey)
© Copyright Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Reuters Ltd.
&)
&)
&)