Another photo finish hands Australia bronze in men's kayak double sprint
Updated . First published at
Jean van der Westhuyzen and Tom Green have claimed another podium for Australia, winning bronze in the men's kayak 500m double in a three-way photo finish for second.
The pair had qualified for the final as the quickest boat, setting an Olympic best in their semi-final, but couldn't quite repeat those heroics with the medals on the line.
Germans Max Lemke and Jacob Schopf were the clear winners, but only a photo finish could separate second, third and fourth – just a day after it had denied Australia gold in the men's fours behind Germany.
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Jean van der Westhuyzen and Tom Green have won bronze for Australia after yet another photo finish in the canoe sprint. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
It showed Hungary's Sandor Totka and Bence Nadas came in 0.14 seconds ahead of the Aussies in second, while Spanish pair Marcus Cooper and Adrian del Rio missed the podium by just 0.09 seconds.
Speaking to Nine after the race, van der Westhuyzen and Green, who claimed gold in the 1000m in Tokyo, were left rueing a poor start that allowed the Germans to get out to an early lead.
"We didn't have the greatest start," Green said.
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"I kind of stuffed it up a little bit, I'm a little bit unhappy with that.
"At the end of the day, on a bad effort we're still able to get onto the podium. We have done a lot of work, so we've got to be happy with that."
Despite the start, the pair said they were proud to have claimed yet another medal for Australia.
The photo finish in the men's K2 500m final. Nine
"(The Germans) had a cracker race, put us under a lot of pressure from the start when we had a shaky one ourselves," van der Westhuyzen.
"Full credit to them. That is racing. That is sport. That's why you love it and want to be part of it.
"So proud of how we could hold our own, knowing we weren't having the best race. Germany, full credit to them."
In the women's final earlier, Australians Ella Beere and Aly Bull were no match for the dominant New Zealand pair of Lisa Carrington and Alicia Hoskin, finishing three seconds back in seventh place.
A photo finish was needed to decide the minor medals, with Hungary taking silver, and then the second Hungarian boat sharing the bronze with Germany in a dead heat.
