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Czech's Doktor Wins Two Golds

GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- Two days, two gold medals. And soon, a hero's welcome. Life is good, very good, for Czech canoeist Martin Doktor.

Doktor surged from behind to win the Olympic 500-meter canoe race Sunday, edging Slovakia's Slavomir Knazovicky for his second gold in two days. His victory in Saturday's 1,000-meter race was his country's first canoe-kayak medal since 1952.

``In my town I will be a hero,'' said the 22-year-old from the Czech city of Sezemice. ``There has been no medal in the last 44 years. Friends will be waiting. There will be an official presentation at the city hall. I think it will be very nice.''

Becoming a canoeist was out of Doktor's hands. His father, mother and brother are actively involved in the sport.

``Everyone in our family is around the water. I think there was no way to do another sport,'' he said. ``There are a lot of sports, but there's no time.''

On the last day of the Olympics, Italy's Antonio Rossi also picked up his second consecutive gold medal. One day after teaming with Daniele Scarpa to take the 1,000-meter two-man kayak race, he went solo to win the 500.

Despite Doktor's success, Italy, Germany and Hungary dominated the flatwater canoe and kayak events. All five Italian boats won medals -- two golds, two silvers and a bronze. Germany and Hungary had six medals each, with the Germans taking four golds.

Birgit Fischer of Germany had a chance to set an Olympic record with a ninth career medal, but she finished fourth in the women's 500 kayak. Rita Koban of Hungary, the 1992 silver medalist, won the gold.

In Sunday's closest race, Kay Bluhm and Torsten Gutsche of Germany defended their Olympic championship in the two-man 500 kayak.

They took the lead in the last 50 meters before Italians Scarpa and Beniamino Bonomi, who were fourth at the midpoint due to a poor start, pulled into a dead heat over the last 10 meters.

But Bluhm and Gutsche prevailed, crossing the line just three-hundredths of a second ahead.

``It's incredible,'' said Bluhm. ``I can't really believe that we have won it again. When we passed the finish line, I wasn't sure if we had really won.''

Agneta Andersson and Susanne Gunnarsson of Sweden won the two-woman 500 kayak. And Hungary's Csaba Horvath and Gyorgy Kolonics won the two-man 500 canoe.

Americans were shut out, all U.S. boats having lost in the semifinals.