Canoe Singles (C1), Slalom, Men

Slovakian Michal Martikán and Frenchman Tony Estanguet had dominated the Men’s C-1 Slalom since 1996 and, although they were not present in Rio, their compatriots Matej Beňuš and Denis Gargaud Chanut were positioned to continue their nations’ strong presence in the event. Beňuš had won 13 gold medals at the European and World Championships in the C-1 team, was the 2011 C-1 World bronze medallist, and had earned silver in the C-1 at the 2010 Europeans and bronze in the 2013 and 2015 editions. Chanut was less decorated, but among his C-1 honors were gold at the 2011 World Championships and bronze at the 2011 Europeans. David Florence of Great Britain was also a strong contender, having been the 2013 and 2015 World Champion, as well as a silver medallist at the 2008 Summer Games, while Slovenia’s Benjamin Savšek was the 2015 European champion, a European bronze medallist in 2012, a World runner-up in 2014 and 2015, and World bronze medallist in 2013.

Germany’s Sideris Tasiadis, the 2012 European Champion and 2013 and 2015 European runner-up, came out ahead in the preliminary rounds, 1.25 ahead of Chanut and 1.88 ahead of Florence, and was still in front after the semi-finals. In the final, however, Chanut came back to win the gold medal, while Beňuš, who had finished sixth and eighth in the preliminaries and semi-final respectively, made an impressive run that eventually earned him silver. Savšek and Florence both suffered from major penalties, however, and even Tasiadis took a costly two-second hit that paved the way for Japan’s Takuya Haneda to win bronze, which was Asia’s first Olympic medal in canoeing. Another notable entrant was Lebanon’s Richard Merjan who, despite finishing last, earned distinction as his country’s first Olympic canoeist.