Tom Green to carry regret for startline error that left Aussie pair with ‘dirty gold’
Tom Green says he will have to shoulder the blame for “screwing up” the start of the K2 final that prevented him and crewmate Jean van der Westhuyzen from winning another Olympic gold.
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They’re happy with their “dirty gold” but Tom Green says he will carry the weight of a startline error that prevented him and K2 partner Jean van der Westhuyzen from repeating their Tokyo Olympic heroics in Paris.
The Aussies were raging favourites heading into the K2 final after setting an Olympic best time in their semi-final but Green said he made an simple error on the startline that prevented the pair from getting the explosive start that was the cornerstone of their race recipe.
“I screwed up the start quite a bit,” Green said.
“It was just not what we’ve trained to do and not what we were hoping to do and I feel like, you know, if it did go to plan, I think it would be a different result.
“So I’ll have that one on my back and I’ve just got to be so grateful and thankful that all the training that we’ve done has still put us in a position on the podium even when it’s not a great race.”
Green was disappointed at himself for what he described as a simple error, putting his paddle up too late and throwing out the pair’s synchronisation and rhythm in the opening stages of the race.
The duo did well to fight their way back into the contest but provided little challenge to German gold medallists Max Lemke and Jacob Schopf.
While they attempted to work their way through the field, the Aussies were left in a desperate battle for the minor medals, with a photo finish again required to determined the minor medals.
Hungary’s Sandor Totka and Bence Nadas finished with silver, with Green and van der Westhuyzen beating Spain’s Marcus Cooper and Adrian del Rio to the line by 0.09sec to get themselves on the podium.
While both van der Westhuyzen and Green were slightly deflated, they remained proud of their effort to win a medal after the race was reduced to 500m - half the distance of the Tokyo course.
“Winning an Olympic medal is so special, so we’re so, so stoked with that,” van der Westhuyzen said.
“Of course we’re going to be disappointed. We really felt we were capable of a gold medal.
“But you know what, I think all the crews on the start line think they’re capable of that as well.
“We would have loved to come here and get the gold again but we live to fight another day and coming back home with the dirty gold isn’t too bad.”
The bronze gives each man two medals and completes the set for the van der Westhuyzen family after Jean’s younger brother Pierre won silver with the men’s K4 crew on Friday.
“I’m so happy for my little brother,” van der Westhuyzen said.
“That silver for me, was as good as gold. I’m so proud of him, and he’s made a ton of sacrifices to be where he’s at - not just my brother but those boys as well.”
Earlier, Aly Bull and Ella Beere finished outside the medals in the women’s K2 final, placing seventh.
Green has a final race left in the regatta, taking part in the K1 1000m semis and final on Saturday.
“It’s just going to be going out there and doing my best,” Green said of a 1000m race he hasn’t prepared for specifically.
“Maybe I go out hard and disturb it up a little bit, I’m not too sure yet.”
Alyce Wood will also race for a place in the women’s K1 final when she takes part in the semis on Saturday night. (AEST)
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