By CHRIS STEVENSON -- SLAM! Sports
 PENRITH LAKES, Australia -- Christian Frederiksen had an 0-fer at these Olympics as an athlete.

 The 35-year-old canoeist figures to have a much better day Sunday as a coach.

 Frederiksen is the man behind the rise of Canada's world champion kayaker Caroline Brunet, the favourite to win gold in the women's K-1 500m Sunday and finish these Games on a high note for Canada. She's also a strong contender in the women's K-2 with partner Karen Furneaux of Waverley, N.S.

 Brunet turned to Frederiksen, a Danish native who now has Norwegian citizenship, after her disappointing finish in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the relationship has seen Brunet vault to the top of the kayaking world.

 "She is the greatest," said Frederiksen, who finished fifth in the men's C-1 1000m Sunday, the race in which Canada's Steve Giles, of Lake Echo, N.S., won bronze. "She is the next queen of kayaking."

 All she needs is the gold to go into the crown.

 Brunet finished second in Atlanta four years ago to Rita Koban of Hungary and Koban, along with Atlanta bronze medalist Josefa Idim Guerrini of Italy, figure to be Brunet's biggest competition Sunday. They will be racing in lanes 4-5-6 in the middle of the course with Brunet in the middle.

 This race has been Brunet's focus for four years.

 "It's what's she's been waiting for since Atlanta,"

 said Frederiksen. "She has the drive. She really wants it."

 Frederiksen's loyalty to Brunet -- not to mention the not-so-small fact coaching is how he earns his living -- led him to battle with the Danish canoe federation and wound up with him forsaking his Danish citizenship.

 The president of the Danish federation wanted Frederiksen to sign a contract which would prevent him from coaching Brunet or any other foreign athlete.

 The bottom line was if he didn't put his name on the bottom line, Frederiksen would not be allowed to compete for Denmark.

 He decided he would rather switch than fight -- and keep making a paycheque -- so he left Denmark and got his Norwegian citizenship.

 Frederiksen is the key player in the Brunet camp. She sought him out after she finished seventh in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, a result which devastated her. It was her second Olympics and she had expected much better after a 13th place finish in the 1988 Games as a 19-year-old Olympic rookie.

 They have been together for the last eight years (a portion of that as boyfriend-girlfriend) and the success of the relationship is evident in the way Brunet has risen to become the force in women's kayaking.

 What is she like to coach?

 "I don't have a comment on that,"said Frederiksen.

 "Like everyone else, sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's difficult."

 He said she has matured into a different competitor than the one in Atlanta.

 "She probably could have won in Atlanta, but she just didn't have the experience at the time, said Frederiksen. "A lot of the progress has been in her mind. Now she knows she can do it and that's the biggest thing."