Posted online: Aug 15th, 2008

By Dermot Keys
dermot@letterkennypost.com
One of the Irish Olympians with Donegal connections, canoeist Eoin Rheinisch, came within two and a half seconds of an Olympic bronze in Beijing on Tuesday.
His fourth place in the K1 Kayak race was all the more impressive given the lack of resources available to the Leixlip man. Rheinisch, whose aunt Anne Crossan hails from Letterkenny and who has a number of relatives in Donegal, was painfully close to taking Ireland’s 21st Olympic medal.
The 24-year-old made the final and posted an impressive time after a solid run. With only four competitors still to go, he had the gold medal in his sights but Germany’s Alexander Grimm, France’s Fabien Lefevre and the France-based Benjamin Boukpeti came through with quicker times to leave the Irishman just outside the medals.
In the end, it was the last man down the course that relegated Rheinisch from history-maker to also-ran. But the young canoeist was dignified in defeat despite the heart-breaking nature of his loss.
“At first there is a little bit of disappointment that I didn’t medal but I can’t be disappointed, I’d been very fortunate to make it through the rounds in the fashion that I did make it through,” he said after the race.
“To come from 10th to fourth. I am just delighted.”
“Winning is a great feeling but this, under the circumstances and the pressure involved, this is my best result.”