BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two-time Olympic champion Tony Estanguet of France failed to qualify for the Olympic canoeing slalom men's canoe single (C1) on Tuesday, ending his bid for an unprecedented third straight Olympic gold in Beijing.

    Estanguet, who was born to a family of slalom enthusiasts and won Olympic golds in Sydney and Athens, finished in a disappointing 9th in the semifinal. The top eight qualify for the final.

    The 30-year-old finished the course in 93.92 seconds after being given a two-second penalty for touching a gate. He posted a 6th place among all 16 competitors in the heat on Monday, showing an out-of-form on what many claimed the most difficult slalom course in the world.

    "I was very, very disappointed," Estanguet said in a low mood after the racing. "The course is very tough, and I still couldn't get well used to it despite six visits here."

    When asked if he would retire after the Games, he said: "I haven't yet made a decision on it."

    But his failure to earn a slot in the final ended at least temporarily the long rivalry between him and Martikan.

    His arch-rival Michal Martikan of Slovakia, who took two silvers in Sydney and Athens, won the semifinal in 88.92 seconds despite a two-second penalty.

    Martikan won the C1 gold in Atlanta, 1996, when he beat Tony's elder brother Patrice into a third place.

    Yves Narduzzi, coach of Estanguet, said on Monday: "The course is very tough. Tony didn't do well in the first run and he was quite upset."