Canadian David Ford, the first non-European to win men's single kayak slalom world title, only needs relax now before the Beijing Olympics.

In an exclusive interview in Shunyi Olympic Canoeing/Kayaking Park on Tuesday, Roger Peter Friesen, who has been David's psychological coach for over 10 years, said, "All the hard work is finished. He just should relax."

The 41-year-old athlete won the World Championship in La Seu d'Urgell of Spain in 1999 and the World Cup in Kernville of the United States in 2005.He finished fourth in the K1 men's race at the Athens Olympics.

Friesen said that David, who started paddling at the age of 10, had been to Beijing some six to seven times in the past one and half year, finding every possible chance to get himself accustomed to the water course.

David usually trains in the Chilliwack River near Vancouver because there is no artificial slalom course in Canada, Friesen said, adding that David, who has participated in at least five Olympic Games, sometimes designs boats, paddles, and life jackets for a factory.

Friesen, who has been teaching psychology in the University of the Fraser Valley for 15 years, said that David is very talkative and often chairs TV program as an invited guest.

"He works with CBC and appears in some other programs," Friesen noted.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2008)