"Missed the target"

Canoeist Timon Maurer misses out on Olympic qualification

The Summer Olympics will take place without Austrian canoeist Timon Maurer. The Viennese came fifth in the 1,000 m kayak at the remaining place regatta in Szeged on Thursday, with only first and second place earning Paris tickets.

"I got off to a solid start and after 30 seconds I had a lead of about one boat length, which I held until the 800 meter mark. Then I got nervous and couldn't keep up with the pace," explained the 24-year-old.

He will take a lot of experience with him into the next Olympic cycle, said Maurer. "Even though I missed my target, I'm not dissatisfied. But of course I'm annoyed." Ana-Roxana Lehaci (500 m/kayak) and Manfred Pallinger (1,000 m/canoe) missed out on a place in the final. This means that Austria will not be represented in France in flat water canoeing, while Corinna Kuhnle and Felix Oschmautz currently hold two quota places in white water. However, Mario Leitner and Viktoria Wolffhardt are still in the running. They could improve their starting position at the European Championships in Tacen (SLO) next week.