Nicholls aiming for Australian first

KAYAKER Alana Nicholls passed a big Olympic test with flying colours last year.

The 26-year-old from Perth won the K1 500m sprint title during the Games test event on Dorney Lake.

Now she'd loved to repeat the dose in the real deal because she is aiming to become Australian canoeing's first female Olympic champion - no woman has done better than silver on either the flatwater or whitewater .

Nicholls campaign starts in heat four at 7pm AEST tonight.

Hungarian world champion Danuta Kozak and German Katrin Wagner are the favourites for the event, but you can be sure that Nicholls will be snapping at their keels.