Double Olympic silver medallist David Florence is desperate to grab an elusive gold medal in today’s canoe slalom.
The 34-year-old won silvers in the C1 at Beijing and in C2 with his current partner, Richard Hounslow, on home soil four years later.
Florence needed one run in the heats to book a place in today’s C1 semi-finals and goes off at 5.30pm with the 10 best competitors progressing to the final, scheduled to start at 7.16pm.
He believes the experience of his previous finals will be crucial, saying: “I’ve been fortunate enough to win medals. It means I don’t feel any additional pressure to come away with one again.
“All I really feel I have to do is do the best I can and prepare the best I can, which I have done.
“If I could get a gold medal it would be fantastic. I’d really like it and I’ve spent pretty much every day of the last four years doing everything I can to give myself the best chance of getting it.
“All I can guarantee is that I will give it my very best shot.
“I could go out there and put in a really fantastic performance that I’m pleased with and three other guys go slightly better. If that happens, then fair enough.
When to watch
Canoe slalom,
semi-final and final
5.30pm & 7.16pm, today
BBC1
“But if I can put in a good performance, I think there’s a pretty good chance I will win a medal — and it could be gold.”
Florence has also endeared himself to the locals by teaching himself Portuguese.
“It becomes a much better experience when you arrive in another country and you can talk to anyone,” he said.
