Fischer wins sixth canoeing gold

The victorious German K4 team

Birgit Fischer of Germany became the greatest medal-winner in Olympic kayak history when she won gold in the women's four.

It was the sixth gold medal of her career and her ninth overall.

Fischer also tied the German record for most Olympic gold medals and will have a chance to set herself apart on Sunday when she races in the K2 event.

The other six-time gold winners from Germany are swimmer Kristin Otto and Reiner Klimke who won six equestrian titles.

I have another race tomorrow, so there won't be much celebrating tonight

  Birgit Fischer

"The numbers of medals is simply not that important to me," Fischer said afterward.

"I have another race tomorrow, so there won't be much celebrating tonight."

Fischer, 38, also extended her own record for the longest span between golds by a woman. Her first title came 20 years ago in Moscow in the K1.

One more for the record

However she willl have to win in 2008 to tie the overall mark held by Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich.

Fischer, who competed at several Olympics under the married surname Schmidt but has since divorced, won the two and four in 1988, the solo in 1992 and the four in 1996.

She did not compete in 1984 because East Germany was part of the Soviet-led boycott of the Los Angeles games.

There was more joy for Germany in the C1 1,000m final in which Andreas Dittmer started slowly but surged home in a time of 3:54.379 ahead of Cuba's Frank Balceiro who took silver and Canada's Steve Giles who took bronze.

I saw the others fading towards the end and then I knew I could win

  Andreas Dittmer

"I started out slow at the beginning - I couldn't keep up with the pace of the leaders in the beginning so I decided to hold back and then I saw the others fading towards the end and then I knew I could win," Dittmer said.

Italy's Antonio Rossi and Beniamino Bonomi had a hard-earned win in the K2 1,000m event.

They finished clear of Sweden's Henrik Nilsson and Markus Oscarsson in silver and Hungary's Krisztian Bartfai and Krisztian in bronze.

Hungary took the gold in the men's K4 1,000m with a late victory over Germany and bronze going to Poland.

Romania's Mitica Pricop and Florin Popescu took gold in the C2 1,000m as Cuba finished in silver medal spot clear of Germany in third.

Controversial silver

Under-fire Bulgarian Kayak star Petar Merkov won silver behind Norway's defending champion Knut Holmann in the K1 event with Britain's Tim Brabants third.

Merkov has been the subject of a bitter dispute this week over reports that he had failed a drugs test earlier this year.

A dozen nations demanded Merkov be thrown out of the competition following the reports.

He was allowed to take part in Saturday's final after the International Canoeing Federation said it was unable to verify the dope test.