Wonder youngster takes it
There's a saying among canoeists: half the paddle but twice the man.

Michal Martikan from Slovakia rewrote that remark Saturday when he humbled the field of the world's best slalom canoeists. They might now be saying: half the age, twice the man.

Martikan, just 17, moved into the lead when he shaved 0.14 seconds off Czech Republic's Lukas Pollert's time, the gold medal winner in Barcelona in 1992.

And he bettered the world's top-ranked canoeist, Patrice Estanguet, who was selected late in the game to come to the Games as France's third boat when a smaller nation declined to send an entry.

"There's only one 17 -year old in the race today and one 37-year old," said reigning World Champion David Hearn. "Michal Martikan really tore it up."

Adam Clawson, who paddles on his left side--a disadvantage here on this course--found some consolation that such a young buck could win.

"At least a lefty took it," he said. "Maybe the next time he'll be a nervous wreck."

This update by Boo Turner