Tokyo 2020 - Sándor Tótka won a gold medal in the sprint competition

Thursday’s final program began in the usual heat, but in a milder wind than in previous days, which, moreover, turned around and now blew more and more to the riders from the front and side. Thomas Bach, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee, also visited the Sea Forest kayak track for the finals.

Both Hungarians reached the eighth final with two race wins, in which, in addition to defending champion and world champion Liam Heath of the United Kingdom, former Swedish World Cup winner Petter Menning and Spanish Saul Craviotto, who was equally medalist in the previous two Olympics, were the biggest opponents.

UTE’s 27-year-old fresh European champion, Tótka - the only one who has been able to beat Heath in a World Championship final since his 2016 victory - almost shot out of the start and triumphed all the way to his advantage. It withstood the pace dictated by itself, and while Federal Captain Csaba Hüttner let out a huge battle cry on the shore, he was the first to cross the finish line. The 25-year-old kayaker Csizmadia of the Angyalföld VSE also performed well, behind Tótka, the Italian Manfredi Rizza and Heath, he was barely pushed off the podium.

After the result was finally displayed on the screen after a long wait, Sándor Tótka cried himself, then arrived on the shore and hugged the members of the Hungarian team.

This is the 84th five-ring coin of the Hungarian kayak-canoe sport, the 27th gold - it has never been able to stand on the podium before in this issue - and from the point of view of the Tokyo Olympic team, the 14th medal, the fifth gold.

Result:

K-1 200m Men's Olympic Champion:

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SÁNDOR TÓTKA (HUNGARY) 35,035 sec

2. Manfredi Rizza (Italy) 35,080

3. Liam Heath (Great Britain) 35,202

4. CSIZMADIA KOLOS (HUNGARY) 35,317

(Source: Source: sportrajongo.hu, mti / Photo: pixabay, mti)