DUISBURG, Germany - After a four year cycle in which they battled each other, teammates and the world, Tim Hornsby of Atlanta, a member of the Gainesville-based Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club, edged out Ryan Dolan of Kailua, Hawaii, in the Men's K-1 200m B Final on Sunday to clinch the lone men's sprint kayak slot available at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Hornsby finished fifth with a time of 35.962 seconds, 0.334 seconds behind the race's first place finisher. Dolan placed eighth with a time of 36.210, 0.248 seconds behind Hornsby.
The race capped a tense year in which a number of U.S. athletes vied for the single Olympic spot. Dolan earned the spot for Team USA with a Bronze medal performance at the 2011 Pan American Games. Hornsby made it a two-man race by winning the 200m event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April. The two kayakers battled to an inconclusive result at last weekend's World Cup No. 1 in Poland, leading to Sunday's decisive showdown.
"I'm still not really sure if it's real," Hornsby said. "It's been such a long process, not only with this process, but the process of going to the Olympics has been a dream forever. It's amazing that it's actually happening. I'm tripping out. I can't believe it."
Friday
July 4th, 2025
6:53AM
