Fischer powers to eighth gold

Germany's 42-year-old kayaking legend Birgit Fischer may be finding it a little harder these days, but she still had what it took to win her eighth Olympic gold medal yesterday.

Germany's four-person kayak was slightly down halfway through the 500 meters final, but with Fischer setting the pace in front and three women half her age paddling in unison behind her, the Germans edged out in front and held on for a 0.2-second victory over Hungary, with Ukraine taking bronze.

Fischer looked to her left after crossing the line and seemed to know immediately that her squad had won. She raised her paddle above her head with both hands. Her boat-mates leaned back, closed their eyes and gasped with exhaustion.

The victory made Fischer - already the most successful Olympian in her country's history - the first woman to win medals 24 years apart. She won her first gold at 18 in Moscow, then becoming the youngest women ever to win an Olympic kayaking event.

"You never know if it's going to be the last medal you win, so in that sense, it has a higher meaning," Fischer said.

She now has 11 medals in total and will be a strong contender for yet another today, when she races in the pairs kayak final.

At the 2003 world championships, before Fischer made her comeback, the Germans were 5th with a K-4 entry paced by Maike Nollen, who moved back to the second seat this year.

"Birgit gives me a lot of confidence to concentrate on my job. I'm calmer," Nollen said. "The last time, when I had to ride in the front, I was under higher pressure, and now I just have to follow her."

The Hungarians won last year's world championship and seemed stunned that Fischer could make such a difference.

"We did the best we could, but the Germans were too fast," Hungary's Katalin Kovacs said. "I am not pleased."

In the men's competition, Spain's David Cal surged ahead of the most dominant man in his sport yesterday to take the gold - his first Olympic medal - in the 1,000-meter single canoe event.