What a time to be competing! Adam van Koeverden and Tim Brabants are in absolutely stunning form and have been for the last two years.
Sprint paddling legends like Eirik Veraas Laarsen, Marek Twardowski and Ben Fouhy are regularly being relegated to also-ran status.
The regular powerhouses like Hungary, Germany, Poland just haven't been able to produce anyone to take these two on.
In the midst of this South Africa, with a tiny history of international sprint racing, has one guy steadily improving and climbing his way up the ranks - Shaun Rubinstein.
Ruby, as he is known in South African racing circles, has quietly been earning a solid reputation and respect amongst the international elite.
He finished the 2007 season ranked number 3 in the world. He achieved his ranking through consistency and although there is no question he is improving and is now a regular finalist at World Cup and World Championship events he has not established himself as a reguar medallist.
2008, so far, has been a tough season for Ruby. His world ranking dropped to 5 after the World Cups. He didn't score any points in the first World Cup in Szeged.
As much as he is a tremendously focussed and composed athlete I wonder whether the enormity of the Olympics is getting under his skin. I trust that Nandor with good experience of preparation for Olympics is working very closely with him.
I think Shaun's own words best describe his potential for an Olympic podium “If I can get my peak and all other aspects involved in having a perfect race right, I believe I am good enough to win a medal,”
The key to this is that I think he knows that at this stage of his career he needs a near perfect race to be in line for an Olympic medal.
Adam and Tim, however, are paddling so well that they don't need perfect races to medal. I expect that between them they will grab the K1 golds and silvers. That leaves only the bronze medals up for grabs.
I am pretty confident that he will make at least one K1 final and I hope like crazy that he does have a perfect race and win a medal.
It breaks my heart to say this but I don't think Ruby is as a likely to medal as Jen is. There won't be many people happier than me if I'm wrong.
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