"Wow, I didn't even come here to focus on the K-1," said a dripping Johnson, a UC San Diego student who whipped down the 500-meter course in 2 minutes, 3 seconds, upsetting former Olympians Ruth Nortje and Kathy Colin.

Most people thought the winner would be Nortje, a 36-year-old two-time Olympian currently ranked fourth in the world. Nortje's fourth-place finish at the 2003 World Championships secured the United States a boat in the 2004 Summer Games. The race Thursday determined which American woman would be in that boat. But Nortje's fourth-place finish on Lake Merritt meant she has to hand her spot over to the 20-year-old Johnson, whose previous career highlight was a ninth-place finish at an international regatta in 2002.

"I don't know how I did it," Johnson said. "I went into the race extremely relaxed, and didn't worry about it because I came here to race the K- 4 (four-person kayak)."

The day's racing brought some tense moments for the 50 elite kayakers and canoe paddlers. It took five tries to start the men's individual 500-meter race. Twice, the starting gun malfunctioned, one kayaker's rudder got tangled on some weeds and needed a quick fix, and on the fourth attempt a jangled paddler from Hawaii false-started.

Finally, the starter did away with the gun and shouted, "Ready in 10 seconds! ... Go!" The favorite, former Olympian Rami Zur of Chula Vista (San Diego County), shot out first and commanded an open-water lead on the pack of nine paddlers, prompting the announcer to say of Zur, "He showed up in Oakland and said, 'It's already mine!'"

Zur's 1:46 finish guarantees him a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. He was greeted by a cheer from the 200 people with binoculars and lawn chairs gathered on the shores.

"Have fun in Greece!" shouted 9-year-old Jackson Acorn as Zur paddled back to the dock. Acorn came to the race with a handmade autograph book to collect signatures from the athletes.

After Zur had his boat weighed to ensure it was at least 26.4 pounds and stopped by the drug-testing station, he was led to the award podium to get his medal from Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente.

Zur said he was enormously relieved to win, but already thinking about all the training he has ahead to be competitive in Athens.

"This was just a middle-of-the-way goal for me," said Zur, who made it to the semifinals racing for Israel in the Sydney Games in 2000.

The Berkeley-born 27-year-old moved to Chula Vista three years ago to work out at the Olympic Training Center.

The men's individual 500-meter canoe race was won by Jordan Malloch of Seattle in 2:06..

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