BEIJING, Aug 10: A duel between France’s Tony Estanguet and Slovakia’s Michal Martikan will be the highlight of Monday’s white water slalom events in which three boats hope to win an unprecedented third Olympic gold.

Estanguet, France’s flag bearer at Friday’s opening ceremony, is looking for his third straight gold but as Martikan is the world rankings leader and the defending world champion, the Frenchman is anything but a favourite.

“I think it going to be a fight with the river,” Estanguet said. “I don’t want to think about any results, I just want to fight with the river.”

Estanguet narrowly won four years ago after Martikan, the 1996 Olympic champion, was given a late penalty following a review.

In the men’s pairs’ event, Slovakia’s Pavol and Peter Hochschorner are the clear favourites to take their third straight gold as they lead the world rankings and lack a nearby contender.

“Everybody’s looking to beat us but every time they’re looking for us ... we must just go, do our runs, and the results will come,” Pavol said.

The Czech Republic’s Stepanka Hilgertova, winner in 1996 and 2000 could become another three-time Olympic champion but will have to overcome defending champion Elena Kaliska of Slovakia in the singles kayak event.

“This sport is a lottery, especially on a course this difficult, this water is ... harder than in Athens,” Kaliska said.

Hilgertova comes into the competition as the favourite but finished fifth four years ago after also starting off as the favourite.—Reuters