De Jonge bears down for shot at gold in kayak

Squeezes past Serb rival to take 4th in semifinal

RIO DE JANEIRO• The wait to convert two world championships into Olympic gold has been excruciating for Canada’s Mark De Jonge.

But the time spent waiting was nothing compared to the excruciating minute one of the country’s top medal prospects in Brazil spent in his kayak on the choppy waters at Lagoa Stadium Friday morning, wondering if he would even get the chance.

“Mission just barely accomplished,” De Jonge said with an exhale after qualifying fourth in his single men’s kayak 200 metre semifinal. “By the skin of my teeth.”

Churning through the mid- morning waves on the Olympic course, the product of a tricky cross- wind, De Jonge was timed in 34.77 seconds, just .03 ahead of Marko Novakovic of Serbia in a photo finish. That margin was all that separated the two from the final spot in Saturday’s medal event.

So the man who won the past two world championships — and bronze in London four years ago — will get his shot at gold.

“Today was not my best day, obviously, but I know I have it in me to be Olympic champion,” De Jonge said. “Based on the last few years, I know it’s in me. It’s just about tapping into that.”

With the rest of the world seeming to catch up to De Jonge in the past 12 months, much will be on the line for the 32- year- old from Halifax. It’s been a disappointing Olympics for Canada in the murky (and often rough) waters of Lagoa. In Week 1 of the Games, the rowers man- aged just a single medal and the paddlers on the canoe/ kayak team have been shut out as the regatta heads to its final day. Neither kayaker Adam van Koeverden or canoeist Mark Oldershaw — both medallists from London — qualified for their respective finals earlier this week.

De Jonge, meanwhile, came to these Games as one of the country’s top goldmedal hopes. He knew he would have his work cut out for him when he drew into the tougher of the two semifinals on Thursday after finishing third in his early morning heat. And then as the wind picked up from an awkward direction, the challenges increased.

“I’m not used to really getting excited about just making the final,” said De Jonge, who maintained after a long cool- down session that all is fine physically. “It was a humbling experience for sure. To see my time finally come in after what seemed like an eternity, it was pretty satisfying to know I’m on to the next step.

“It’s been kind of challenging to go through a full week of competition with my whole team having ups and downs and me not being able to race until now. It feels like for weeks. I’ve just been ready to go and waiting and waiting and finally my time has come.”

With the final slated for 9:07 a.m ., De Jonge won’t have much time to tinker, although his meticulous approach to both his vessel and his body is what has made him the two- time reigning world champ. Starting from Lane 1 won’t help, either. “I want to just take some time to assess what happened and figure out a plan for ( the final). I know I can be better. Definitely there’s a big challenge tomorrow.”