Aussie kayakers into Olympic medal races
Australian paddlers Tom Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen have continued their sizzling form to be contending for gold, while Alyce Wood will also race for an Olympic canoe sprint medal later on Thursday.
After posting a K2 1000-metre Olympic record in the heats, Green and van der Westhuyzen backed up to win their semi-final.
While it wasn't close to their heat time, it was still the fastest race of the day with world champions Germany winning the other semi-final.
Green and van der Westhuyzen had clear water on the field at the 750m mark and eased off, with crews from New Zealand, China and the Czech Republic also qualifying for the medal race later on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Queenslanders are looking to surpass Australia's bronze medal in the event in Rio 2016, won by Ken Wallace and Lachlan Tame.
Competing in the same semi-final, Australia's other pair Jordan Wood and Riley Fitzsimmons missed out on the final.
In the women's K1 500m Wood was drawn in the same semi-final as her K2 partner Alyssa Bull and New Zealand's four-time Olympic gold medallist Lisa Carrington.
The Kiwi great blasted out of the start to set the pace, with Wood edging out Serbian veteran Milica Novakovic for the second qualification spot.
Bull crossed the line in fourth.
After finishing fifth in the K2 500m with Bull, it's 28-year-old Wood's first Olympic final in K1 racing.
