A dozen gold medals are on offer in flatwater canoeing/kayaking at the Shunyi Rowing/Canoeing Park today and tomorrow. While host China hopes to extend its lead in the tally, the real medal hopefuls are the European powers.

World champion Tim Brabants from Great Britain is a gold hopeful at the Shunyi Rowing/Canoeing Park today. [Agencies]

In the first event of the men's kayak single 1,000m, two-time World Cup winner Adam van Koeverden from Canada is expected to challenge world champion Tim Brabants from Great Britain and defending champion Eirik Veraas Larsen from Norway.

After a third and a fifth place at the past two Olympics, Brabants is now the reigning world and European champion over this distance, winning the most recent title at the Duisburg World Cup.

Andreas Dittmer from Germany and defending champion David Cal from Spain will challenge each other in the men's canoe single 1,000m.

Dittmer is currently one of the most impressive canoe paddlers and will be going for his fourth Olympic gold.

Cal, with his solid build-up to the Olympics, looks ready to retain his title.

But the two will have to be wary of Attila Vajda from Hungary, a bronze medalist in Athens who was in great shape earlier this season.

Just two teams are tipped to dominate the other four events: Germany and Hungary.

Hungary may have its best opportunity to end a gold medal drought in the event as Zoltan Kammerer and Gabor Kucsera look strong in the men's kayak double 1,000m.

Although the country won six medals in canoeing and kayaking at previous Games, none were gold.

The biggest rival for the Hungarians will be German pair Andreas Ihle and Martin Hollstein.

Germany and Hungary will feature in another duel today - the men's canoe double 1,000m.

Hungary's Gyorgy Kozmann and Tamas Kiss are the nation's new hope after the recent tragic loss of former canoeist Gyorgy Kolonics, who collapsed in a canoe and died while training for the Olympics.

But Germany's Christian Gille and Thomasz Wylenzek have won two world championships and defeated two Hungarian crews to claim the title at the first World Cup this year.

In the men's kayak's four 1,000m, Germany will challenge the domination of defending Olympic champion Hungary.

Despite a number of changes to its crews, Hungary has been consistent at all world competitions.

But the German crews, after winning two recent world champs, are confident they can stand atop of the podium.

In the only women's event today, Germany is looking forward to defending the winning streak of the women's kayak four 500m it started in Barcelona in 1992, where they lost to Hungary.

Hungary has been out for revenge ever since.

This year, the Hungarian girls will be joined by world and European champions Great Britain in the final.

China will field four boats in today's final, including strong crews in the women's K4 500m.

China Daily