Mark de Jonge, the world's fastest sprint canoeist, was ready to quit the sport after he failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
The addition of the 200-meter kayak event to the Olympic program in London 2012 made the Canadian change his mind. It turned out his explosive paddling style was much better suited to the furious pace of the 200 than the longer races.
After winning bronze in London, the 32-year-old engineer heads to Rio as a double world champion and world-record holder in the event, which he has compared to a drag race on water.