In 1988, Greg BARTON (USA) learned what a difference speed can make. BARTON crossed the finish line in what seemed a dead heat with Australia's Grant DAVIES in the 1000m men's single kayak (K1) event. The scoreboard pronounced DAVIES the winner, but after reviewing the finish, the International Canoe Federation announced that BARTON had won by .005 seconds less than 1 centimeter. BARTON became the first U.S. kayaker to win an Olympic gold medal.
Now, as the Games return to BARTON's homeland, the 1996 Olympic Games marks the 60th year sprint canoe / kayak events have been a permanent fixture on the Olympic Programme. And while hundreds of sprint athletes from more than 40 countries gather on the waters of Lake Lanier, many will learn lessons similar to DAVIES and BARTON. For those who achieve ultimate performances, it will be the lesson of being the best.
K1 500m
Leading the hunt for gold in the 500m men's kayak single will be Knut HOLMANN of Norway and Poland's Piotr MARKIEWICZ. The 1992 bronze medalist HOLMANN returns to Olympic waters to attempt to capture the gold medal that escaped him in Barcelona. MARKIEWICZ, gold medalist at the 1995 World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, will be looking to achieve the same success at the 1996 Games.
Don't blink or you may miss Rita KOBAN of Hungry in the women's events. KOBAN, who maintains the Hungarian domination of the sprints, captured the silver medal in 1992 in the 500m women's singles and had a strong showing at the Lake Lanier Sprint Challenge with a second-place finish. KOBAN was the key to success for Hungary in the sprint kayak events in '92, where she won a gold medal in the K4 500m, a silver in the K1 500m and a bronze in the K2 500m with partner Eva DONUSZ.
K1 1000m
Norway's HOLMANN will pull double duty in the men's kayak singles. HOLMANN took first at the World Championships in the 1000m sprint and will look to add a gold medal in Atlanta to the silver he earned at the '92 Games. Australia will pit one of its finest against the Norwegian as Clint ROBINSON returns to defend the gold medal he was awarded at the Barcelona Games. ROBINSON finished second to HOLMANN at the World Championships.
K2 500m
The defending Olympic gold medalist team from Germany will be the team to beat in the women's 500m kayak doubles event. The German women proved their domination in the K2 events at the 1995 World Championships, placing first. Looking to deny the Germany team their second consecutive gold medal will be the Polish women. The Hungarian men continue to show their strength in sprint events and will be the team to watch in the men's 500m kayak doubles. Zsolt GYULAY and Krisztien BARTFAI placed second at Duisburg and first at the Lake Lanier Sprint Challenge and will look to bring home the gold. Top challengers facing Hungary will be the Italian and the Polish team.
K2 1000m
Germany will try to field the best team for the men's 1000m kayak doubles as Kay BLUHM and Torsten GUTSCHE return to defend their 1992 gold medal. However, if momentum is an indication of success, watch out for the Italian team of Antonio ROSSI and Daniele SCARPA who had the top performances at the 1995 World Championships and the Lake Lanier Sprint Challenge.
K4 500m
Germany will be the front-runners in this women-only event. The Germans captured the gold at the 1995 World Championships and will challenge the ever-strong Hungarian women for the gold at Lake Lanier. Look for Ramona PORTWICH to lead the charge for Germany and Rita KOBAN to help her Hungarian team defend the gold medal it earned at the 1992 Games.
K4 1000m
The men's 1000m kayak fours will be a battle of sprint favorites Hungary and Germany, two teams who have enriched Olympic sprint events with their continuous success. Germany will try to take the top honor for its second consecutive Olympic Games, while Hungry will not settle for the silver again. It was déjà vu in Duisburg in 1995 as the Germans took first and left Hungary in the all-too-familiar second position. Australia also will contend for a medal in the kayak event.
C1 500m/C1 1000m
In the 500m and 1000m men's canoe singles, Nikolai BUHALOV of Bulgaria dominated the 1992 Olympic Games, earning gold medals in both events. After his top finish at the '95 World Championships, BUHALOV has proven, once again, that he will be the one to beat. Accepting the challenge is Martin DOKTOR of the Czech Republic who finished second to BUHALOV at the World Championships in both sprint events. Another name to look for among top paddlers will be seven-time World Champion Ivan KLEMENTJEVS of Latvia, the Barcelona silver medalist.
C2 500m/C2 1000m
Competitors in the two-man canoe events will continue fighting an uphill battle against the dominant Germans and Hungarians, who will once again be looking to continue the legacy they have built throughout Olympic history. In the 500m event, the German team of Andreas DITTMER and Gunar KIRCHBACH captured the bronze in Duisburg and placed first at the Lake Lanier Sprint Challenge and will be in contention for a medal at these Games. The dynamic pair had third-place finishes in the 1000m C2 at both the World Championships and the Sprint Challenge, and are hoping to bring home the gold for the second year for Germany in the 1000m event.
Countries Qualified
AUS | Australia |
AUT | Austria |
BUL | Bulgaria |
CAN | Canada |
CZE | Czech Republic |
DEN | Denmark |
FRA | France |
GER | Germany |
GBR | Great Britain |
HUN | Hungary |
ITA | Italy |
LAT | Latvia |
MDA | Moldova |
NOR | Norway |
POL | Poland |
POR | Portugal |
ROM | Romania |
RUS | Russia |
SVK | Slovakia |
ESP | Spain |
SWE | Sweden |
SUI | Switzerland |
USA | United States |
UKR | Ukraine |
This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Jennifer Knight with information provided by Lynne Bragg.
| Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Games involved a crew of 2,100 who worked with more than 3,500 performers as well as thousands of athletes who celebrated on the field of Olympic Stadium. |