German kayaker Birgit Fischer captured her eighth Olympic gold medal on Friday in the women's K4 500 metres, moving a step closer to a record equalling ninth career gold at the Athens Games.
Fischer and teammates Maike Nollen, Katrin Wagner and Carolin Leonhardt pounced on race leaders Hungary - Katalin Kovacs, Szilvia Szabo, Erzsebet Viski and Kinga Bota - in the final metres to snatch the gold.
With Saturday's K2 500m final coming up, Fischer can equal the record as the most successful woman athlete in the history of the Olympic Games with her ninth gold.
The 42-year-old mother of two first struck gold as a teenager at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, where she competed for East Germany.
A success on Saturday would take her level with Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina who also collected nine golds.
She would have probably have had the record already had East Germany not boycotted the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
At the same time, she will have accomplished winning twelve Olympic medals in total where she would be second in the all-time list behind Latynina who picked up 18 medals.
{{/usCountry}}At the same time, she will have accomplished winning twelve Olympic medals in total where she would be second in the all-time list behind Latynina who picked up 18 medals.
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