Malmerdi wins gold for Italy in kayak slalom

London, August 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Davide Molmenti won Italy's third gold medal of the London Olympics Wednesday, claiming the men's K-1 kayak slalom.

Molmenti's time of 93.43 with no penalties was enough to give the reigning European champion gold, 1.35 seconds faster than Vavrinec Hradilek of the Czech Republic.

Just 0.14 seconds separated Hradilek from Germany's Hannes Aigner, who won bronze.

Poland's Mateusz Polaczyk was fastest on the top section of the course, but he lost time in the middle and finished fourth.

The only previous Olympic medallist competing in the event, Togo's Benjamin Boukpeti was tenth and last in the final after picking up 54 seconds of time penalties.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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