Bronze-winner Heath eyes up Paris shot

UNDER the shadows of the dinosaur bridge, the oldest man emerged from the water and suggested he was far from extinct.

Liam Heath will be 37 in two weeks. He is already the most successful British canoeist of all time, with bronze here taking his medal tally to four.

By the time Paris comes around he will be a fortnight from 40. He is married and has a young child. Five years ago, when he won gold in Rio, his wife joked that the biggest celebration was seeing her husband for the first time in four months.

But these are the Olympics. The drug is strong and for many, cold turkey is not a prospect to consider until you have no option.

While the 200m sprint is to go the way of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and its marauding pals, the Guildford former TGI Friday’s barman may not be ready to call last orders yet.

‘That’s a question still to be answered and thought about very deeply,’ he said when asked the obvious. Then came the hint, and it was a big one.

‘It’s a unique position to be in, because it’s just another three years. It seems to be just around the corner.’ Do not rule out a last tango in Paris.

‘The 200m is unfortunately stepping back as an Olympic event but there are new opportunities both in the slalom and the sprint,’ Heath added. ‘That’s something that I might turn towards.’ Another hint, although it came with a caveat.

‘Those decisions still have to be made. You’re on cloud nine at the minute, but you kind of forget all the hardship and sacrifices to get to where you are.’

If there were tears, it was because of the buckets (starting position). An uncharacteristically slow start should have left Heath dead in the water. Somehow, he showed enough mettle to medal.

‘I got left in buckets a little bit,’ he said. ‘There was a bit of hesitation there. There was a bit of a long wait in the buckets, with the sensor system or whatever they are using to hold us.’

It certainly held back the favourite, who had set quickest time of the Olympics in Wednesday’s qualifying. Not that he took his third place with anything other than dignity.

And along with the bronze came an added bonus in the shape of a teddy bear version of the Games mascot Miraitowa, given to each podium dweller.

‘I think my daughter will be more interested in this little guy than the medal,’ Heath explained. ‘That’s definitely going to her. She turns four next month but hopefully when she’s older, she can understand everything that I’ve been through, the family have been through and she will be proud.’