Van Koeverden looks to join select group

Heavily favoured Canadian Adam Van Koeverden has been cruising to victory so far in Beijing.  With two victories in the k-1 1000 and the k-1 500 canoe-kayak events, Van Koeverden is poised to join a select few Canadian summer athletes.

A victory in either race will put him in an elite group of Canadian summer Olympians who have won two gold medals, including the likes of sprinter's Donovan Bailey and Percy Williams along with swimmer Alex Bauman. 

Two gold medals would put him in a very elite league of three summer games medals, a league that includes only former rowers Kathleen Heddle and Marnie McBean. 

Van Koeverden thus far has shown no signs of fatigue or pressure as he won his k-1 500 metre race Tuesday in a new world record time of 35.554 seconds, beating his own world record in the distance. 

Van Koeverden dedicated the race to Triathlon silver medallist Simon Whitfield who has been a huge inspiration for Van Koeverden, "Simon's race was intelligent and gutsy...there's so much fight in that guy and he wanted it so bad.

Simon has been such a force in changing my attitude. What he did in 2000 was one of the most inspirational things I ever witnessed and was an eye-opener for me and is what made me want to be a Canadian Olympian and to be an Olympic champion."

Van Koeverden will now focus on his semi-final race in the K-500 metres before going for gold in the k-1 1000 metres the day after.  Knowing a victory will put him in the history books Van Koeverden should be very determined and ready to go. 

He goes into Thursday with the satisfaction of knowing the position he's in but at the same time realising he has more to do.  If he has the same motivation and determination of one of his heroes Simon Whitfield, there is no reason why he couldn't blow away his competition.