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Hannes Aigner
Photo:
Adam Pretty / Getty Images
Hannes Aigner won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in a single kayak.
The 32-year-old world champion from 2018 only had to admit defeat to Olympic champions Jiri Prskavec (Czech Republic) and Jakub Grigar (Slovakia).
For the German slalom canoeists it is the fourth medal in the fourth race in Tokyo.
Ricarda Funk was crowned Olympic champion in the kayak on Tuesday, Sideris Tasiadis and Andrea Herzog each took bronze in the Canadier.
For the first time since the Olympic canoe slalom premiere in Munich in 1972, the German athletes won a medal in every competition.
In 1972 the GDR athletes won three golds and one bronze.
Some co-favorites had previously failed
Even if Aigner allowed himself small mistakes and had problems at gate five, he managed an overall solid final run in which he was able to avoid gross mistakes.
Aigner had minor problems in the semi-finals and only entered the battle for the medals in seventh place.
At the Kasai Canoe Slalom Center, co-favorites Peter Kauzer from Slovenia and Italian Giovanni de Gennaro had already failed in the semifinals.
For Germany it is the eighth bronze medal in Tokyo.
ngo / dpa / sid