Australia has secured its first canoe sprint medal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a gold medal performance in the Men’s Kayak Double 1000m. 

The duo of Jean van der Westhuyzen and Thomas Green crossed the finish line in first ahead of boats from Germany and the Czech Republic to secure the gold in a nail-biting race that came down to just 0.3 of a second. 

It is the first gold medal for Australia in the 85-year history of the event which has seen three previous Aussie bronzes in 1984, 1988 and most recently 2016. 

“It hasn't sunk in yet but when we crossed that line, when I saw the coaches, it hit me hard. So happy. To consider this is the last time that this event is in the Games, really honoured," said an ecstatic Thomas Green. 

"World of emotion, first thing that comes to mind is I am a man of faith, so I thank the Lord upstairs. The coaches, my family, my beautiful girlfriend, all my best mates, it's such a big team that goes behind this performance," Jean van der Westhuyzen said. 

The win pushes Australia’s total gold medal count in Olympic canoe sprint history to four. 

Also racing in an A Final at Sea Forrest Waterway on Thursday, Alyce Wood finished in eighth in the Women’s Kayak Single 500m. In that event New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington took out the gold followed closely by boats from Hungary and Denmark. 

Wood became the first woman since Sydney 2000 to race in the A Final of the Women’s Kayak Single 500m event. 

“Coming into this, making that final was going to be the hardest thing, so to tick that off is pretty special,” Wood said. 

“It’s not the race that I wanted to have in an Olympic final, but proud to be there none the less.” 

However, this is not the end for Wood who looks to continue racing alongside the next generation of Australian champions. 

“I don’t think I’m finished with paddling yet. I’d love to be in Paris, and I’d love to bring some of the younger girls through,” Wood said. 

“The fire is still 100% burning in my belly.” 

Other Australians on the water today notched impressive finishes in the same events. Alyssa Bull in her second Olympic games finished 16th overall in the Women’s Kayak Single 500m with the duo of Riley Fitzsimmons and Jordan Wood coming in 13th in the Men’s Kayak Double 1000m. 

Australian canoe sprinters are back on the water on Friday, with a full schedule of racing on the cards beginning at 10:30am AEST. 

Matthew Barnard