Liam Heath set his sights on a second medal at Rio 2016 after qualifying fastest for the K1 200m sprint canoe final.
The 32-year old has already landed K2 200m silver in Rio, teaming up with Jon Schofield to upgrade from their bronze in London four years ago.
But Heath is also European champion in the individual event, and impressed to win both his heat and semi final to reach the final.
The Brit’s semi-final was stacked full of talent, including reigning world champion Mark de Jonge of Canada, and Olympic silver medallist Saul Craviotto of Spain.
But Heath powered through the field to finish in 34.076 seconds with Germany’s Ronald Rauhe second home in 34.180 and de Jonge and Craviotto back in third and fourth.
And Heath, who would join Tim Brabants and David Florence as the most decorated Team GB canoeist should he win a third Olympic medal tomorrow, admitted his performance in the double had filled him with confidence for his solo campaign.
“I’d say there is a little less pressure now,” said Heath. “I know I’m going really well and the K2 has been feeling absolutely fantastic so to have mine and Jonny’s [Schofield] work justified and step up from the last Games is absolutely incredible.
“It was a solid performance again. I’m really happy with both today. I kept calm and pushed it out towards the line.
“When you come to an Olympic Games, every semi and heat is hard. You’ve got all the best in the world here, all competing for the same thing. They’ve all been training for four years for this moment so there’s no easy heat.
“You keep your excitement bottled up inside so you can try and release it down the race and use it as a catalyst. But I’ll keep quietly confident, go back to the hotel and do something completely different – I’ll try not to watch too much Olympics on TV.”
The women’s K4 team will also return for the A final tomorrow after finishing joint second in their 500m semi final.
Rachel Cawthorn, Jess Walker and Louisa Gurski were part of the Team GB quartet to finish fifth in London 2012, while 2014 world junior silver medallist Rebekah Simon was added to the line up last year.
With no teams eliminated from the heats, the British four, who finished fifth at last year’s World Championships, focused all their efforts on the semis with the top three progressing.
And while they were lying fourth at the half way stage, the British team surged past 2014 world silver medallists Poland as the finish line beckoned, ultimately tying for second with Canada behind 2015 world bronze medallists Germany.
“We’re really chuffed to have made it through,” said Cawthorn. “When we saw the draw for the semis, all of us looked at it and nobody said anything, but we were all thinking the same thing that it would be tough.
"There’ll be an extra bit of energy from the excitement in the final and hopefully a sprinkle dusting of power and confidence after that semi as well.”
Simon added: “We couldn’t really see anyone though as we’re going. You can see the people next to you but once you’re going you just keep your head down and go for it and believe in yourself for the last bit.
“We’ll be going in on a bit of a high now so we’ll have to wait and see tomorrow.”