Bronze Medal for Robin Bell

Western Australia has found a new icon after third time Olympian Robin Bell broke through for a bronze medal in the C1 at the Shunyi rowing-canoeing park in China.

After finishing fourth four years ago in Athens, Bell was a sentimental favourite amongst the majority of the crowd, which contained a large and vocal contingent of Australian’s.

Bell was true to his word and improved throughout the tournament and placed himself into the medal positions after his final run with a time of 180.59secs. Bell’s success made him the first ever Australia to medal in a slalom canoeing event.

Slovakian Michal Martikan added a second gold medal to his glittering cabinet to adorn two silvers won at Sydney and Athens, with his first success back in Atlanta in 1996, twelve years ago.

Bell left no one in any doubts as to what he was feeling after the event finished.

“Its awesome isn’t it,” Bell said. “I was sitting down the bottom sweating it like Athens and I was thinking “I don’t think I’m going to get this one”.

“But it’s such a hard course out there that people started making mistakes and it was my lucky day.”

“Its such a relief, I tell you. I’m ecstatic.”

Bell was circumspect regarding a contentious gate touch which ultimately cost him a silver medal to Great Britain’s David Florence.

“If you hit it with the water it’s not a penalty, but there was a bit of water on my deck and just kind of rolled it … the finest of touches.

“The judges are the judges and I put myself in that position closest to the gates, so they gave me a touch I just have to wear it.

“It knocked me from silver to bronze. Bronze, so I’m pretty happy at the end of the day.”