Hochschorners defend olympic gold

Reigning Olympic canoe pairs champions, Peter and Pavol Hochschorners, showed their class in Athens in Friday's final, winning by gap of more than 3 seconds. The Bratislava born twins thus defended their Olympic gold from Sydney. They were followed by a German couple on the second place while a pair of Czech canoeists finished third.

Controversial decision of referees in case of the gold medal for Slovak canoeist Michal Martikan has been attacked. Slovakia's Olympic team has written a protest to the directorate of the International Olympic Committee and its leaders were to be received by Committee’s head Jacques Rogge on Friday. "We are calling for a revision of the result. If we do not succeed, we are ready to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," said one of the Slovak officials. Martikan initially finished first in the C1 event, but was then downgraded to the silver medal after being controversially adjudged to have hit a gate. The gold went instead to France's reigning Olympic champion Tony Estanguet.