Casey Eichfeld has qualified for the Olympics in canoe slalom, becoming the first American to qualify for four Olympics in slalom. He previously qualified in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He considered retirement after failing to qualify for the Tokyo games. Now 34, he seeks his first Olympic medal. His best Olympic finish was seventh in 2016.
FILE - Casey Eichfeld of the United States competes during the canoe single C1 men’s heats of the Canoe Slalom at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. The 34-year-old Eichfeld is going to his fourth Olympics after competing in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
He stuck with it, and now he has qualified for the Paris Olympics in canoe singles. At age 34, he’s the first American to qualify for four Olympics in slalom. That level of success has not carried over to the Olympic stage. His best finish at the Games was seventh in canoe singles in 2016.2-time Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor will soon spring into retirementExperience could work in Eichfeld’s favor, as others have succeeded at his age. Slovenia’s Benjamin Savsek won canoe singles gold in Tokyo at age 34 and will be back to try again. France’s Tony Estanguet won his third canoe singles gold medal in 2012 before retiring later that year.
“My last run at team trials in Oklahoma City was one of those really good days where I think that fighting for the podium is absolutely an option and a possibility,” he said. Eichfeld embraced the challenge in Oklahoma City, where he had to make his final push in stormy conditions. Smolen has coached Eichfeld and Lokken for more than 15 years and said Lokken has been a key to Eichfeld’s success. Lokken was ahead through most of the qualifying process for the Paris Games until the end, when Eichfeld passed him up at the trials in Oklahoma City.
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