Kayak Fours, 500 metres, Women

Germany, East or unified, had won the K-4 500 at 17 of the last 20 editions of the World Championships, and were the defending Olympic champions, but had lost the World title in 1999 to their long-time rival Hungary. These two nations won their heats in the opening round and led the rest of the pack by a significant margin in the final, which Germany won by 0.414 seconds, leaving Hungary with the silver medal. Two members of Germany’s crew, Katrin Wagner and the great Birgit Fischer, became double Olympic champions by emerging victorious in the K-2 500 the following day, while two of the Hungarians, Katalin Kovács and Szilvia Szabó, were silver medalists in the same event. Romania, meanwhile, the 1997 European champion, edged out Poland, the 1999 World runner-up, by 0.066 seconds to take bronze.