Boukpeti makes history for Togo in kayak

By the Associated Press

Posted Tuesday, August 12, 2008 4:36 PM ET

Togo's Benjamin Boukpeti made Olympic history on Tuesday with a bronze medal in the single kayak.

Not only was he the first black man ever to medal in a slalom event, according to the International Canoe Federation, he is the first athlete ever to win a medal for Togo in any Summer Games.

Alexander Grimm of Germany, ranked No. 3 in the world, won the gold medal in a combined time of 171.70 using a pair of clean, fast runs. Fabien Lefevre of France won the silver in 173.30

"I really don't know yet what this quite represents," Boukpeti said though a translator.

Boukpeti kissed his fists before he thrust them into the air on the medal stand and hopped up and down several times before the medal was placed around his neck, his parents watching nearby.

"I tried to give people some entertainment," he said. "I tried to make them vibrate a little."

Boukpeti was the last competitor to negotiate his one-man kayak through the strategically placed gates, and the crowd was behind him from the start. His ride was clean and his combined time was 173.45 seconds.

He hugged and kissed his French mother and Togolese father after he crossed the finish line and said, "They showed me it was possible."

Boukpeti speaks French and lives in Toulouse, France. He was born in France and only visited Togo, in West Africa, once as a young boy.

He snapped his paddle in the foamy water when he slammed it in exultation, forcing him to splash his hands around to get to his waiting fans.

This celebration was for Togo.

Boukpeti developed through a program in France, but shoulder injuries ended his career there. The 27-year-old represented Togo when he competed in the 2004 Athens Games.

Grimm ducked and weaved around the gates. Every flawless run - without even the tip of the paddle touching the gate - earned a "wonderful!" or two giant thumbs up on the scoreboard.

"I've got a massive party ahead of me," he said.