Kayaker Dostál wins Czechia's third gold medal at 2024 Paris Olympics

Kayaker Josef Dostál clinched the gold medal in the men’s kayak single 1000m at the Paris Summer Olympics this afternoon, marking his first gold and fifth career medal at the Olympic Games.

The victory is the third gold for the Czech team at the Paris Olympics following victories by canoeist Martin Fuksa yesterday and the mixed doubles tennis team of Tomáš Macháč and Kateřina Siniaková last weekend.

The gold medal also completes Dostál's Olympic medal collection, adding to his previous silver and three bronze medals from London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. The veteran kayaker now boasts a total of five career Olympic medals.

The 31-year-old Czech kayaker dominated the final race in Vaires-sur-Marne, following Fuksa’s victory the previous day. Dostál advanced to the final after finishing third in the semi-final, where he strategically conserved his energy.

In the final, he quickly positioned himself among the leaders, trailing only behind Portugal's Fernando Pimenta halfway through the race. With 300 meters left, Dostál surged ahead and maintained his lead to secure the victory.

Hungary's Ádám Varga took the silver, while Bálint Kopasz, the defending gold medalist who is also representing Hungary, settled for bronze.

In other action in Paris today, Dostál's fiancée Anežka Paloudová finished 15th in the women's 500-meter kayak event. After placing fourth in her semi-final, she competed in the B final, which determines rankings from 9th to 16th place. Paloudová finished seventh in the B final, overtaking Australia's Alyce Wood in the final stretch.

New Zealand's Lisa Carrington dominated the women's 500-meter event, winning her third gold medal in Paris and her eighth Olympic title overall. Carrington also triumphed in the double kayak event with Alicia Hoskin and as part of the four-kayak team.

With Dostál's win today, the Czech Republic has a total of three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics with one day remaining in competition. The Czech fencing team added a bronze last weekend by topping France, giving the country a tally of four medals at this year's Olympic Games.