Three-time Olympic champion Andreas Dittmer reached the men's 1000m canoe final after moving through the field to finish second in his semi-final.
The 36-year-old, who won gold in the 500, 1000 and 1000 double in Athens, Sydney and Atlanta respectively, trailed France's Mathieu Goubel.
Dittmer had to contest the semi-final after finishing second in his heat behind Olympic champion David Cal.
Australia's Ken Wallace made the men's 1000m kayak final with a fine win.
Wallace, competing at his first Olympic Games, led for the first 500m of his semi-final before briefly losing the lead to South Africa's Shaun Rubenstein.
He was then pushed hard to the finish by New Zealand's Ben Fouhy and Sweden's Markus Oscarsson.
The 25-year-old will face Britain's World Champion Tim Brabants, Athens 2004 Olympic champion Eirik Veraas Larsen from Norway and Canada's world cup winner Adam van Koeverden in the final.
606: DEBATE"I wanted to just get out in front and try and control the race," said Wallace, who has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Australian 1992 Olympic champion Clint Robinson.
"I was leading through the 500 and then I could feel where everyone was.
"But it wasn't a slouch semi. Between the top five or six of us, we've all trained together at one point in time and we all get on together really well.
"There are some favourites and it will be down to whoever has it in the legs in the last 150 because everyone is about the same."
Three Chinese crews also qualified for the 1000 metre finals in the K2, C2 and K4, to the delight of their home supporters at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
The 1000m metre finals will be held on Friday.
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