Of the four long distance events at these Olympics, the F2 race was probably the most exciting, as four boats contended for the title: Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. The Germans, Wilhelm Horn and Erich Hanisch had the advantage on paper, having won the European title in 1934. Together with the Austrians and the Dutch they formed the lead early on. Sweden (Sven Johansson and Erik Bladström) joined them halfway through the race, and attempted to pull away with the Germans, leaving Austria and the Netherlands to fight for the bronze. With one kilometre left, the leading boats were still level, leaving an exciting finish in front of the stands. The Swedes managed to pull away slightly at the end, crossing the line just three tenths ahead of the German boat. While the Swedish victory was somewhat of a surprise, Johansson and Bladström proved their status at the inaugural World Canoeing Championships in 1938, where they finished second in this event, behind another Swedish kayak.