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Olympic hopefuls begin quest for '08 games
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Karen Furneaux, right, and Genevieve Orton, left, hug after Furneaux’s win in the Women’s K-1 500m A-Final event during the Canadian time trials Saturday afternoon at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue during the Canadian Olympic trials. Orton finished the event sixth.

The field of Canadian Olympic hopefuls in canoe and kayak started taking shape at the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Center on Saturday. Canoe finals in the men’s C-1 (one-person canoe) 1,000 meter race and men’s C-2 1,000 meter finals were held. Kayak finals in the men’s K-1 1,000 meter, men’s K-2 1,000 meter and women’s K-1 500 were also held.

Andrew Russell and Gabriel Beauchesne-Sevigny placed first in the men’s C-2 1,000 meter, Attila Buday and Tamas Buday Jr. finished second (3 minutes, 45.67 seconds) and Kyle Jeffery/Ian Mortimer placed third (3:47.793).

In the men’s C-1 1,000 meter, Mark Oldershaw finished first (3:59.122), Thomas Hall earned second (3:59.691) and Richard Dalton placed third (4:05.8).

Adam Vankoeverden won the men’s K-1 1,000 race (3:40.967), Wesley Hammer placed second (3:47.537) and Corey Hamilton was third (3:50.071).

In the men’s K-2 1,000 meter, the team of Richard Dober Jr./Andrew Willows finished first (3:23.873), Angus Mortimer/Chris Pellini earned second (3:25.267) and Steven Jorens/Ryan Cuthbert placed third (3:25.399).

Karen Furneaux (1:53.51), Emilie Fournel (1:54.238) and Kia Byers (1:54.709) were the top finishers in the women’s K-1 500.

Today’s finals include the women’s K-4 500, men’s K-4 500, men’s K-1 500, men’s C-1 500, men’s K-2 500, among others.

Event winners this weekend advance to the Continental Olympic qualifier in Montreal where they must earn the Canadian berth at Bejiing by winning their race or finishing as the fastest boat not already qualified for the Olympics.

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