David Florence is looking to perform Olympic alchemy and turn two silvers in Olympic gold in Rio.
Florence makes his third Olympic appearance in the heats of the men’s C1 class this afternoon. He’s the world reigning champion in the discipline and a silver medallist from Beijing eight years ago.
He will also appear in the C2 class with Richard Hounslow but for now his priority is on solo success at the Olympic Whitewater Stadium.
"I've delivered at the Olympics on two occasions, it gives me confidence to know I can do it when the pressure is on,” said Florence.
“It was a massive challenge just to make the team and that gives you confidence too. Being the best in Britain means up are automatically up there with the best in the world. My team-mate Ryan Westley was a bronze medallist at the World Championships and he’s at home.
“I’ve been a lot of time thinking about being here, so I want to seize the opportunity and add to that collection of medals.”
Florence's two appearances on an Olympic podium give him justifiable cause for confidence but, like all champions, he learns more from his defeats than his victories.
Four years ago he was ranked number in the world in the C1 discipline but he failed to even make the final after a succession of mistakes in the semi-final - a sobering lesson in a sport where margins between success and failure are narrow.
However, two days later he returned to win C2 silver with Hounslow, while British team-mates Etienne Scott and Tim Baillie took gold.
"It was a massive disappointment and it taught me a lot about myself," he added.
"I'd won the silver four years previously, I was a better athlete, I was faster and more consistent, I was ranked higher in the world and yet I didn't even make the final. I didn't even get a chance to fight for it and it felt like four years hard work wasted.
"It was a phenomenal low, especially because it was a home Games, which really heightened the disappointment. Luckily I had another event and to have been able to refocus and perform just gives you lots of self-belief. I could have dwelled on that disappointment or been too determined to put things right and gone too hard."
Florence's attention to detail is legendary. He learned Russian when he applied to join the European Sport Agency's astronaut programme, crammed Mandarin lessons before Beijing and now speaks more than passable Portuguese.
"In the build-up to Beijing I thought I might retire after those Games," added Florence, who became a father for the first time earlier this year.
"I wondered whether I wanted to do something else, I'd won my Olympic medal and I thought there could be another challenge. However, after London I had no intention of retiring. I was paddling well and enjoying it.
"I need to have challenges away from the sport, I like to have other things to focus the mind on and I don't want to just be defined by canoeing and the results i achieve. I love the sport and I'm super driven by it but if you took it away tomorrow, I'd have a very happy life."
By James Toney, Sportsbeat, in Rio