Ferg junior plans for two more Olympics

KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax Media

THAT'S MY BOY: Kiwi kayaker Steven Ferguson is embraced by his father, Ian, after his K1 500m final. Steven is hoping to emulate his legendary dad and medal at the next Olympics.

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Steven Ferguson is committed to one day matching the achievements of his famous father Ian, even if means going to six Olympic Games.

Ferguson, 28, came away from his third Olympics with a sixth place in the men's K2 1000m on Friday and an eighth in last night's K1 500m.

Three Olympics, his first was as a swimmer, may be plenty for most people, but Ferguson wants to go to London in 2012 and then on to where ever the 2016 Games will be held.

He boldly points out that his dad, kayak living legend Ian Ferguson, took until his third Olympics to start the five-medal haul that made him this country's most-decorated Olympian. He won three gold at Los Angeles in 1984 and a gold and silver at Seoul in 1988.

The parallels in the father- and-son career paths is quite uncanny.

Ian Ferguson went to his first Olympics in 1976 and failed. He returned in 1980 and made two finals before joining forces with Paul MacDonald to dominate the LA Games.

Steve Ferguson's first Olympics as a kayaker was Athens in 2004 where he netted an eighth place in the K2 1000m with Ben Fouhy in his only final.

In Beijing, he made two finals in his second dig.

Ian was 32 when he went to his third Games. Steve will be 32 if he gets to London.

"I've still got time to get as many medals as him," said Ferguson junior.

"This is a stepping stone for me. I'll give it everything I've got over the next four years and hopefully medal next time. This has been a huge learning curve for me."

Ferguson's K2 crew-mate Mike Walker says his team-mate "was born to be an athlete" and the tall blond Ferguson concurs, saying he "could get up to six Olympics if I tried. Dad was 40 when he was at his fifth Olympics so if I wanted to go to 40 . . . though I probably won't because I might be playing bowls instead".

Ferguson, after winning his semifinal, went into yesterday's final in lane four, next to favourite Adam van Koeverden of Canada.

As van Koeverden flew out of the gate, Ferguson was a tad slow and that effectively marked the end of his race. Normally his plan is to start quickly, settle into a rhythm and then surge. But a slow start meant he had to use his surge to try to get back on terms. The race was won by Australian Ken Wallace with van Koeverden second and K1 1000m champion Tim Brabants third. Ferguson was 0.671s from bronze.

"I had an average start. I didn't quite have the gusto but kicked at halfway and caught up but my arms went to jelly in the last 100m."

His father, who is here as a coach, said yesterday's K2 1000m had taken the "spark" out his son's normally sharp start.

Ferguson senior said New Zealand's regatta - Fouhy finished fourth in the K1 1000m and Erin Taylor just missed the women's K1 500m final - would be a launch pad for the resurgence of the sport.

"I'm definitely keen to keep the ball rolling. We've got a lot of young kids coming through back home and we've got a lot of support from Sparc. We have a programme that will give them a better path to follow so I'm looking forward to that."

Ferguson said the goal for London would be to have men's crews in as many events as possible, including the K4 races as well as building a women's K4 around the talent of Taylor.

- © Fairfax NZ News