Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Canoe Slalom – Men’s K1 – Final – Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, Tokyo, Japan – July 30, 2021. Jiri Prskavec of Czech Republic celebrates after winning gold REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
July 30, 2021
By Tim Kelly
TOKYO (Reuters) -Jiri Prskavec won the Czech Republic’s first Olympic gold medal in the men’s single kayak slalom on Friday, five years after a late gate strike robbed him of the title in Rio de Janeiro.
The last of 10 finalists to come down the white water course, the reigning world champion had to better the mark of Slovakia’s Jakub Grigar, whose earlier full-throttle run had set the time to beat.
Prskavec shaved more than three seconds off it.
Grigar, who has never won a major singles title and is the world number 14, took the silver at the Kasai slalom centre.
German Hannes Aigner won the bronze, the same colour of medal he picked up in London in 2012.
Germany have won a medal in all four slalom events in Tokyo, including a gold for Ricarda Funk in the women’s kayak slalom on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
