Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-15 16:17:14

(BEIJING, August 15) — Canoe/Kayak Slalom Women’s Kayak Single semifinal concluded on Friday, August 15.

The event was rescheduled to Friday due to heavy rain and lightning on Thursday. World No. 86 Emilie Fer of France paddled fastest among all semifinalists by clocking 96.50 seconds. She was served a two-second penalty by touching one of the gates, resulting in a total time of 98.50 seconds. She was 1.37 seconds behind defending champion Elena Kaliská of Slovakia who finished the race perfectly in 97.13 seconds.

Sydney gold medalist 40-year-old Štěpánka Hilgertová of the Czech Republic was served with two two-second penalties, finishing at total time of 101.78 seconds.

World No. 11 Jacqueline Lawrence ranked fourth with a total time of 103.40 seconds, followed by World No. 78 Maria Cristina Giai Pron’s 104.52 seconds.

Five other kayakers advanced to the final, and they are (by ranking): Takeshita Yuriko of Japan, Violetta Oblinger Peters of Austria, Heather Corrie of the United States, Stanuch Agnieszka of Poland and Ariane Herde of the Netherlands.

World No. 4 Li Jingjing was the upset of the day, finishing 13th because of a 50-seoncd penalty.