Chinese Meng/Yang Retain Men's Canoe Double (C2) 500m Gold

China's Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun claimed their second straight Olympic gold medal in the canoe double (C2) 500 meters in the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on Saturday.

Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun of China compete in the men’s canoe double (C2) 500m final at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China, August 23, 2008. They won the gold medal.

Meng and Yang finished in 1 minute and 41.025 seconds, fighting off the fast Sergey Ulegin and Alexander Kostoglod of Russia who took silver in 1:41.282.

Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun of China compete in the men's canoe double (C2) 500m final at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China, August 23, 2008. They won the gold medal.

Christian Gille and Thomasz Wylenzek of Germany took bronze in 1:41.964.

This was almost a repeat of the thrilling race in Athens in a photo finish when they won China's first gold medal in the sport.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2008)