Mark Oldershaw ready for his final event with his canoe, his paddle and a lot of family history.
The Oldershaws are a canoeing dynasty in Canada, with three generations reaching Olympic canoe finals.
In 1948, Bert Oldershaw was part of a flatwater canoe doubles team that finished fifth in a 10,000-meter final at the London Olympics — just miles from where his grandson is competing.
His sons — Dean, Reed and Scott — all competed at summer games across the 1970s and '80s. Mark, Bert's grandson, qualified for the final of the 1,000-meter C-1 event on Monday by finishing second in his semifinal.
"To do it back here in London, where my grandfather started the whole thing, is pretty special for me," Mark Oldershaw said. "It feels good to get the name back in the final again."
— Steve Douglas — Twitter http://twitter.com/sdouglas80
EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.