Tony Estanguet
Updated: 2007-07-27 10:59
Athens, 17 August 2004, Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. Men's canoe-kayak: Tony ESTANGUET of France competes during the C-1 canoe single slalom heats at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre. Credit: Getty Images/Shaun Botterill
Born: 6 May 1978
Birthplace: Pau (France)
Nationality: France
Sport: Canoe / Kayak
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Sydney 2000
Athens 2004
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 2
Double Slalom Canoeing Champion
Tony Estanguet's older brother, Patrice, won a bronze medal in the canoe slalom singles event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Four years later, it was Tony's turn to represent France at the same event at the Sydney Games. Although he had never placed higher than thirteenth at the world championships prior to 2000, at the Olympics he was in top form. He qualified with the second best score in the preliminary round, slightly behind Slovakia's Michal Martikan. Estanguet negotiated a perfect run in the first round of the final and also recorded the fastest time. This gave him a significant lead of 2.30 points. In the second run, it was Martikan who was fastest and flawless, but Estanguet, although he touched a pole in the second half of the course, had built up too large a lead to be caught and he earned the gold medal. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Estanguet again qualified slightly behind Martikan in the preliminary heats. In the final run, Estanguet paddled a penalty-free course, while Martikan touched a gate, allowing Estanguet to win by 12 hundredths of a point. He is the only whitewater canoeist to successfully defend his Olympic title.
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