Van Koeverden overcomes doubts By

Outward appearance aside, Adam van Koeverden had some doubts when he made his Olympic debut four years ago.

The Oakville, Ont., paddler made mild waves with his comments in Athens, refreshingly declaring that he wasn't in Greece for the Team Canada gear, but to mine for medals.

After delivering and then some with a bronze in the 1,000-metre singles kayak and gold in the 500, van Koeverden was the star of the Games for his country.

But before he got on the water, the 26-year-old admits now that he questioned whether he could build on the promise he had shown on the World Cup circuit the previous year.

"I was sort of nervous wondering if I still had it," van Koeverden said in an interview.

"What if it was just one season? What if everybody got faster in an Olympic year?"

There will be no such worries this time, of course.

Van Koeverden will head to Beijing as the favourite in both of his events and arguably his country's brightest medal hope.

"If anything, I guess I'm a little bit more secure in what I know I can do," he said. "Now I know I am world class and on any given day if I can put my best race together I could probably win (either event)."

The 2008 World Cup season would confirm that. A winner of five of his six races, van Koeverden is as good if not better than he has ever been in what is fast becoming a spectacular career.

By the time the second week of the Games rolls around and canoe-kayak gets into high gear, in all likelihood van Koeverden will be the big Canadian story at these Olympics as well.

With medal projections low, he could be one of our few bright lights, though van Koeverden flatly rejects the notion that he will be seen as "the face" of the Canadian team.

When it comes to his outlook for China, though, it is the same as it was four years ago.

"I didn't mind saying it then and I don't mind saying it now," van Koeverden said. "I compete to see if I can be the best in the world, not just to compete.

"It's like an ultra-Canadian perspective to think you are there just to be with the world's best and get a pat on the back when you come home no matter what. I'm not suggesting you should be shunned from the country if you are fourth. I just am going to do my best to make sure I don't do that."

Clearly van Koeverden doesn't intend his words to fire up his teammates, but his actions certainly do. Though Tom Hall paddles a canoe rather than kayak, he says it isn't difficult to get inspired by his teammate.

"To see what Adam has done is amazing," said Hall, a contender in the men's 1,000-metre singles canoe. "Nobody works harder than that guy and we all feed off it. And because he has had success, we all realize it is possible to win medals."

OUR TOP BET

Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont.

MEN'S SINGLES KAYAK

Adam has been on fire this year, winning five of six World Cup events ... Learned the sport at the Burloak Canoe Club, home of many past and present Canadian Olympians ... Set a world record in the 500 metres, winning his past World Cup event in Poznan, Poland ... Will spend most of July in Canada including much of his final pre-Olympic training in Ottawa ... Was the star of the show in

Athens, winning a bronze and gold in his Olympic debut ... Frequently updates his website, www.vankayak.com, offering insight into his Olympic preparations.

ONE TO WATCH

Tim Brabants, Great Britain

Set to make his third Olympic appearance, Brabants is a medical doctor in his homeland ... Finished second to Adam van Koeverden in both the 500- and 1,000-metre events at the Poznan, World Cup earlier this summer ... Ended World Cup standings in second place

behind his Canadian rival ... Won a bronze in the 1,000 event at his first Olympics eight years ago in Sydney ... Handed van Koeverden his only World Cup loss this year, winning gold in the 1,000 metres in Duisburg, Germany ... "This is my third Olympic Games, but this year I've had my best preparations and results going into any Games," Brabants said. "So this one I'm the most excited about in terms of a result."