Toti Olympian makes exit, but grateful for opportunity
Tiffany Koch said the Olympics Games are better than any other international games.
EVEN though she missed out on qualifying for the women’s K1 semi-finals in France on August 7, Amanzimtoti’s sprint-canoeing ace, Tiffany Koch, said competing in the Olympics is always a dream come true.
Also read: Tiffany Koch qualifies for K2 quarter-finals at Olympics
Koch is a member of the Toti Canoe Club and was one of five Protea canoeists who were part of the 143 athletes who represented South Africa at the games.
She competed in two categories, 500m K1 (singles) and 500m K2 (doubles), reaching the quarter-finals. Her first race in Paris was on August 6, when she and her paddling partner, Esti Olivier, took on the K2 500m sprint course, placing fifth and qualifying for the quarter-finals at a time of 01:52:14.
In the quarter-finals, they placed sixth with a time of 01:46:40, which was not enough to see them through to the semi-finals.
Speaking after the race, Koch expressed disappointment about not qualifying for the next stage and attributed the result to having joined forces with Olivier only a few months before the Olympics, which meant they did not have as much training as the athletes they were competing against.
“We are proud of our performance today,” she said.
The focus then shifted to the K1 500m race the next morning. Her strong showing saw her placing sixth in a time of 02:02:76, allowing her to progress to the quarter-finals later that day. As Koch’s quarter-final race started, the line-up was packed with the best paddlers in the world. To add to the nerves, a false start meant everyone had to line up again before going off again. In a field of seven sprinters, she came sixth in a time of 01:56:81, missing out on qualifying for the semi-finals.
As her Olympic journey ended, Koch said, “You can’t compare the Olympics to any other international event. It comes around every four years, and it’s every athlete’s dream, and for us to be here is our dream come true.”
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