Kayak Singles, 200 metres, Men

The men’s K-1 200 was one of four new canoe events at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Germany’s Ronald Rauhe had long been dominant in the discipline on the international stage; of his thirteen World Championship victories, five (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2009) were in the K-1 200. His prowess had waned somewhat in recent years, however, and several canoeists had stepped up to take the crown. Among them were Ed McKeever of Great Britain, 2010 World Champion, and Piotr Siemionowski of Poland, the reigning World Champion. With the event’s appearance at the Olympic Games, however, many experienced paddlers had thrown their hats in the ring to contend for the title, ensuring that there would be plenty of worthy challengers vying for the title.

McKeever’s hometown advantage was immediately evident, as he posted the fastest time in the heats amid tough competition. In the semi-finals, however, Canada’s Mark de Jonge and Spain’s Saúl Craviotto were able to complete the course quicker. De Jonge was a relatively unheralded paddler, with his only major international medals having come in different events at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games, but Craviotto was a two-time World Champion in the K-1 4x200 metres and an Olympic champion in the K-2 500, certainly making him a prospect for a podium spot in the K-1 200. McKeever posted the third-fastest time and won his semifinal heat, but Siemionowski was eliminated and Rauhe just barely survived to the medal round. In the final McKeever led after the initial burst from the start and never relented, capturing the gold medal without any serious challenge. Craviotto’s effort earned him silver while De Jonge edged out France’s Maxime Beaumont by three-hundredths of a second to win the bronze.