Off Track ...

Eighth time a charm?

Italian kayaker Josefa Idem became the first woman to compete in eight Olympic Games when she set off in her heat for the 500m K-1 at Dorney Lake on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Idem's first summer games were in Los Angeles in 1984 and she has finished fifth or higher at each Olympics. She won gold in Sydney in 2000 and missed out on another in Beijing four years ago when she was edged into silver by four-hundredths of a second. Idem, who was born in Germany but became an Italian citizen in 1992, finished third in her heat to reach the semifinals later Tuesday.