Gille dedicates win to dead friend

Germany's Christian Gille dedicated the Olympic gold medal he won yesterday to his former canoeing partner who died of leukaemia in June. Gille and Tomasz Wylenzek won the men's C2 1,000 metres gold after coming through in the last 100 metres to edge...

Germany's Christian Gille dedicated the Olympic gold medal he won yesterday to his former canoeing partner who died of leukaemia in June.

Gille and Tomasz Wylenzek won the men's C2 1,000 metres gold after coming through in the last 100 metres to edge Alexander Kostoglod and Alexander Kovalev of Russia.

Gille won two world titles with Thomas Zereske before they split in 2001.

"This gold medal is for Thomas... somewhere up there," Gille said after the race. The German struggled to hold back his tears on the medal podium while Wylenzek wept openly.

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