"This (gold medal) is what I've been looking for since a long time ago," she said. She missed a gate entirely in the women's kayak on the fast but unforgiving course at Whitewater Stadium. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) " Just seconds into her first heat in canoe slalom, Maialen Chourraut thought her Olympics were over. On Thursday, all she touched were river rapids and the heart of her husband and national coach, Xabier Etxaniz, who jumped into the water in the finish area to give her a congratulatory kiss for winning the gold medal. Since the London Games, she's won three World Cups, the 2015 European championship, and had a daughter.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 11, 2016 21:22 UTC