Defending Olympic champion Tim Brabants sneaked in to the final of the men's sprint canoe but admitted it will take something special just to make the podium.
The 35-year-old has spent the past 18 months battling to recover from a tendon injury and looked well short of the early pace set by Canada's Adam van Koeverden.
Brabants was two and a half seconds slower than the world champion and qualified for Wednesday's final of the men's K1 1000 metres by only four hundredths of a second.
Speaking afterwards, Brabants, described how the crowd helped him home. He said: "Coming in to that last bit, it hurts a lot in that
last 100 metres but I had the crowd roaring up there and it just pushed me on.
"You heard a lot of other athletes talking about it last week, about how the crowd pushes you on, but until I was out there doing it I didn't appreciate the impact it has."
He added: "I still feel like I am on an upward trajectory, I hope. It hasn't been easy and these guys are performing exceptionally well at the minute and it is going to take a really special thing for me to just to make it on the podium on Wednesday.
"But I feel in good shape and I am hoping for a good result."
Speaking afterwards, Brabants, described how the crowd helped him home. He said: "Coming in to that last bit, it hurts a lot in that
last 100 metres but I had the crowd roaring up there and it just pushed me on.
"You heard a lot of other athletes talking about it last week, about how the crowd pushes you on, but until I was out there doing it I didn't appreciate the impact it has."
He added: "I still feel like I am on an upward trajectory, I hope. It hasn't been easy and these guys are performing exceptionally well at the minute and it is going to take a really special thing for me to just to make it on the podium on Wednesday.
"But I feel in good shape and I am hoping for a good result."
In the men's C1 1000 metres, Richard Hounslow failed to make it through to the final.
In the women's K4 500 metres, Jess Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Angela Hannah and Louise Sawers made it through to the final on Wednesday.
In the women's K4 500 metres, Jess Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Angela Hannah and Louise Sawers made it through to the final on Wednesday.
