The Americans placed fourth with a time 1 minute, 35.869 seconds, and just missed qualifying for the finals by .224 of a second.

The top three teams qualified for the finals. Australia took first at 1:33.977, followed by Japan (1:35.493) and Canada (1:35.645).

In the men's competition today, Andy Bussey of Kailua and partner Jeff Smoke placed seventh in the semifinals of the 1,000-meter flatwater kayak doubles and failed to advance.

Colin, 30, and Spalding, 24, still have an opportunity in the two-woman 500-meter flatwater semifinals tomorrow. The American pair must place in the top three of their heat to advance to the finals.

Yesterday, the two Hawai'i athletes placed sixth in their preliminary K2 heat with a time of 1:45.38 to advance to the semifinals.

"We're both very happy with the results," said Colin after the K2 event. "We had the competency and confidence to execute our game plan. I think we did very well. We had a good start, a good middle and a pretty strong finish."

Katalin Kovacs and Natasa Janics of Hungary led the heat with a time of 1:38.6.

Spalding said she and Colin were calm the night before their preliminary race. But the two did have a goal to finish their heat in one minute and 40 seconds.

Despite missing their goal by more than five seconds, they're confidently looking to the semifinals.

"I think we're only going to get better as the week goes on," Colin said. "I still know I can give more. I want to race these races at the Olympics finishing at complete exhaustion, giving 110 percent each and every stroke."

It is no coincidence that Colin and Spalding ended up in the same boat, said team leader Mark Parrish. Both share a love for their native Hawai'i, where they learned the sport of kayaking, he said.

Colin is a graduate of Punahou School and Spalding was home-schooled on Maui.

"The fact that they have a common background makes them share a special language," Parrish said.

Colin said growing up in Hawai'i gave her an appreciation for the ocean.

"I love Hawai'i and I love to be on the water," she said. "I think being there gave me a love and respect for the water."

Spalding spends equal amounts of time in Hawai'i and San Diego, but misses the Islands.

"It's hard to be away from Hawai'i and to be away from your family," she said.

This is the first Olympics for Spalding, but the second for Colin, who competed in 2000 in Sydney.

"Athens has always been my finish line," she said. "Sydney was my warmup for this."