ATHENS, Aug. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun, theChinese hopefuls to make history as they are set to win the very first Olympic canoeing medal for China in the Athens Olympic Games.

    Meng and Yang, placed overall first in Tuesday's heats of men'sC2 500m, booked a direct berth in Saturday's final. The result of 1:38.916, their personal best and a big margin of 2.308 seconds ahead of defending champion Hungary, showed their strong competence to snatch a medal.

    Before their debut in May's regatta of Japan's Komatsu Continental Qualification Asia of 2004, Meng and Yang, only partnering for months, came out with the fourth world best result in 1:40.27.

    In June, the duo took all by surprise to crown Duisburg World Cup, the first ever world champion for Chinese canoemen.

    The 21-year-old Yang said that "we are better in men's 500m than in men's 1,000m and we'll give it all in the final."

    Meng, 28, would never miss out on winning his first Olympic medal in his maiden appearance in the Games.

    "To compete in the Olympic Games is my dream. Now the opportunity has come, I have every reason to grab it. I must go all out to do something and I do not want to have any regret over it."

    Wei Di, in charge of China's water events, anchored great hopeson the duo. He said that "their performance is even better than in Komatsu. I bet on them."

    Coach Marek Ploch of Poland, who has been fully dedicating in China's canoeing, remarked that it's time for the Chinese canoemento reap from years' hard and scientific training.

    The pair's opponent in the final, Canadian Attila Buday, were also impressed with their recent form.

    "They are fantastic partners. We have to take on a dog fight,"Buday said.

    Prior to the Athens Games, China's canoeing only squeezed into a fourth place in the women's K4 500m in 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and never went a step further. Enditem