BEIJING - Canadian canoeist Thomas Hall put every last bit of energy he had into his final few strokes in Friday's final in the C-1 1,000 metres at the Beijing Games on Friday.
His intense physical effort was boosted by a strong mental approach, one that helped him win a bronze medal.
"My whole thing was every time I felt tired, I just said, `Go harder,' Hall said. "We have keywords that are supposed to be technical cues. Mine this time was just -- `harder."'
It was no easy task. Not with his 181-pound body feeling like mush and the scorching sun beating down on him at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
Hall was in fourth place when he made his move on Vadim Menkov of Uzbekistan with about 100 metres to go.
"I couldn't really feel anything," Hall said of his final push. "It was there but it was not there. I knew my body was not happy but mentally I knew I had enough to hammer through to the end."
Hall finished third in three minutes 53.653 seconds. Attila Sandor Vajda of Hungary won gold in 3:50.467 while David Cal of Spain, who won gold four years ago in Athens, took silver in 3:52.751. Menkov settled for fourth in 3:54.237.
"It feels pretty wild," Hall said. "It's a bit surreal. It was an awesome race for me. I went out and raced like I know I can and like my coach told me to. It really panned out. It was a great one, really good."
It was the day's lone bright spot for Canada on the water.
Kayaker Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., was a favourite in the men's K-1 1,000 but finished a surprising eighth. Andrew Russell of Dartmouth, N.S., and Gabriel Beauschesne-Sevigny of Trois-Rivieres, Que., were sixth in the C-2 1,000 while Brady Reardon of Burlington, Ont., Angus Mortimer of Ottawa, Chris Pellini of Mississauga, Ont., and Rhys Hill of Ottawa were ninth in the K-4 1,000.
The bronze was the latest accomplishment in Hall's breakthrough season.
He won gold at the Pan American Championships and picked up two victories on the World Cup circuit, including one in Duisberg, Germany last June when he beat Mark Oldershaw of Burlington, Ont., to lock up a spot on the Olympic team.
Hall, a 26-year-old from Pointe-Claire, Que., said coach Mike Creamer helped him stay motivated when he went through periods of self-doubt over the last year.
"I learned a lot about myself this season, I think this whole year," Hall said. "I went through a lot of changes, obviously for the better. I did learn how to race. I think I learned how to win and be comfortable being fast and believing in myself and not being afraid to actually go for it. I think I owe a lot of that to Mike.
"We worked really hard at that this year, that's what we did. When you focus on something like that and it works, I think it's pretty cool. It doesn't always (work), so it's kind of wicked when it does."
Hall added he has received plenty of support that has helped him deal with his moments of doubt.
"Sometimes you're sitting there in a hotel -- like this week -- sitting there alone," he said. "It's kind of stressful and it's hard. Those are the downs, when you feel alone. Then I check my inbox and I've got 200 messages from people back home that I've never met cheering me on.
"Then you feel like, `OK wait a minute, I'm not alone and it's really nice."'
Creamer said Hall's World Cup win in Germany was a real turning point.
"Just having to get the (Olympic) entry and working so hard to gain the entry made him change how he raced," he said. "It made him learn to race a little bit better, which has made a big difference I think."
Hall said he was keeping an eye on Menkov from the start on Friday, almost using him as a pacing tool.
"I knew if I could stay close to him through the first half, that I'd be in the game," Hall said. "It panned out. It worked."
Hall said he's nursing a sore back and shoulder and is looking forward to taking a break, adding in a way he's relieved that the Olympic experience is ending.
"There are times at night, usually you're going to bed and you feel lonely and you're wishing it's all over," Hall said. "I'm not going to lie. This past week I've wanted this to be over. I've loved every minute of it but at the same time I'm like, `All right, this is a long season.' I feel that my little tired body is tired and wants to stop.
"I knew I had one race left in me for sure and I'm happy it's done."
