Folding Kayak Singles, 10,000 metres, Men

This was the only time this event was contested at the Olympics. The clear favorite in this event was Austrian organ builder Gregor Hradetzky. He had won the European title in this event in both 1933 and 1934. Runner-up at the latter championship was France’s Henri Eberhardt, also starting in Berlin. The third contender was assumed to be Germany’s entrant, national champion Xaver Hörmann.

Indeed, the race turned out to be contested between these three paddlers. Hörmann took the early lead, before Hradetzky and Eberhardt took the initiative. With Hörmann following closely, these two exchanged leads. The race wasn’t decided until the final kilometre, when Hradetzky opened up a gap of a boat’s length, winning the race three seconds ahead of the Frenchman.

Hradetzky would win a second title the next day, in a different boat type (kayak) and in a sprint distance (rather than a long distance), making him the outstanding canoeist of these Olympics. Henri Eberhardt would return to the Olympics in 1948, and claim a second Olympic medal in the 1,000 metre K-1.