Richard Dober Jr., is expected to be a busy paddler in Athens. He qualified and will definitely race the K-2 500 with partner Steve Jorens and is also a strong contender to be in the K-4 500 crew after helping Canada qualify the boat at the Pan American championships this past spring.
The qualification in the men's kayak events was a huge achievement for the Canadian team which has struggled in men's kayak for years. The K-4 was especially satisfying. The foursome had trained for six months in Florida this past winter.
"At the qualifier, the Americans didn't take us seriously in the K-4," said Dober Jr, who is studying to become a chiropractor. "We had never achieved international success and they were the favorites."
The Canadians upset the American foursome who'll now stay home and watch the Olympics on tape delayed broadcasts.
In Florida, Dober Jr., said the crew worked hard to polish its technique, paid special care to nutrition and trained very hard, increasing its load everyday.
"It'll be interesting to see what we do in Athens," he said.
