- Finished 0.04 seconds behind Germany
- Win would have been Australia’s 19th gold medal
Australia have clinched an Olympic silver medal in a thrilling men’s K4 500 metre final, edged by sprint kayak powerhouse Germany in Paris.
In a blanket finish, the crew of Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins, Pierre van der Westhuyzen and Noah Havard finished in second spot in a photo finish, with Spain third.
Taking their third successive title in the event, Germany won the race by 0.04 seconds from Australia with the Spaniards 0.21 seconds behind the Aussies.
The margin between first and second was so close that the both teams endured a anxious wait for replays to determine winner.
Victory for the Australia would have seen a 19th gold medal at what is already our best Olympics ever.
It was a second Olympic medal for the family of South African-born van der Westhuyzen after his older brother Jean won gold in Tokyo in the K2, which he will line up in again in Paris.
The Australian men’s Olympic campaign started slowly, finishing a shock third in their heat on Tuesday.
Australia has won its second Olympic silver medal of the day after a nail-biting finish in the men’s K4 500m canoe sprint final
Australia was represented by Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins, Pierre van der Westhuyzen and Noah Havard
But in the semi-final, raced early Thursday, they made a statement by setting a new Olympic record in the event.
That time, 1:19.22, would have won them gold in the final.
‘We left it out there, all the way to the line. Can’t be upset with what we put down there,’ Havard told Channel Nine.
Fitzsimmons hoped that their performance would encourage juniors in the same way he was inspired by the Australian team in London 2012.
‘I think the motto for that Olympics was ‘Inspire a generation’. They certainly inspired us. I hope we inspired a few people back at home today,’ he said.
Australia was pipped for the gold medal by Germany in a thrilling photo finish
Earlier, the Australian women’s K4 crew of Ella Beere, Aly Bull, Alexandra Clarke and Yale Steinepreis were last in their final, won by New Zealand with veteran Lisa Carrington winning her sixth gold medal among an Olympic haul of nine.
It came after Australia’s Moesha Johnson won silver in the marathon swimming in the River Seine.
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