KEY POINTS:
Steven Ferguson evoked memories of his famous father as he powered into the final of the Olympic kayak K1 500m here today.
Long blond hair caked to the side of his face as he battled into steady rain and a headwind, Ferguson shocked his semifinal rivals by surging
from fourth place at the halfway mark to a powerful win.
He was fourth-fastest qualifier for Saturday's nine-boat final, an enormous statement of intent from the 28-year-old who has twin commitments at this regatta.
Yesterday he and Mike Walker qualified their K2 1000m boat for a final tomorrow.
"I finished strong with wobbly arms but still got over the line first," Ferguson said.
"I'm really happy, I couldn't ask for much more than that, to win the semi.
"It's the first time I've won a semi, I'm usually the second or third-fastest time."
The news wasn't as good for teammate Erin Taylor, who was fifth in her women's K1 500m semifinal and missed out on the final.
She improved two places with a strong second-half surge but it wasn't enough for the 21-year-old, who is the sport's first New Zealand woman to compete at a Games.
Ferguson had too much finishing power for second-placed Swede Anders Gustafsson and highly-rated Briton Tim Brabants in third.
Those three, who held positions in the bottom half of the field through the halfway point, all qualify ahead of early race leaders Michele Zerial of Italy and Pole Marek Twardowski.
Ferguson's time of one minute 42.238 seconds was 0.171sec clear of Gustafsson, who he used as a marker.
"I didn't look (where I was). I knew the Swede was next to me and if I beat him then I would probably make it through," he said.
"I just hung on him, I saw him die and took my opportunity while I had it and kicked as hard as I could.
"For me to have a crack like that has got to give me a lot of inspiration going into the finals tomorrow and the next day."
Father Ian Ferguson's smile was even bigger than his son's.
The four-time Olympic champion, who counts the 1984 K1 500m in Los Angeles among his triumphs, told NZPA none of the leading lights would have been taking the semifinals lightly.
Therefore to head former world champion Twardowski and Brabants - the man considered most likely to topple gold medal favourite Adam van Koeverden - showed how far Steven had come.
Steven Ferguson's tired arms pumped to New Zealand supporters after crossing the line and later he traded friendly banter with van Koeverden, no doubt already plotting how to handle the big Canadian on Saturday.
"I'm looking forward to the challenges. I've got to recover and put up my A-game plus 10 per cent tomorrow," he said.
"Two finals in the Olympics - you can't ask for much more than that."
Taylor was smiling despite missing out on advancing to the final by half a second with her time of 1min 54.300sec.
"I knew I wasn't going to come here and win a medal. It's a good experience for me to come back for in four years' time," she said.
"This is the beginning for me.
"I feel like I'm about 3sec off the top ones. I was 7sec last year so if can get that again I should be right with them come 2011 qualifying year again."
Taylor will dabble in her first interest, surf lifesaving, over the next couple of years but then turn all her focus on the 2012 London Games.
"My love at the moment is definitely kayaking, it's taking me bigger places."
- NZPA
