Wallace not ready to end Olympic career after fourth place in K4 1000

Veteran Ken Wallace has hinted his Olympic career may continue through to Tokyo in 2020 after helping Australia finish fourth in the K4 1,000 metres final at the Rio Games.

Wallace, Riley Fitzsimmons, Jacob Clear and Jordan Wood finished strongly in the final at Lagoa Stadium on Saturday night (AEST) but could not move into medal calculation, with Germany winning the gold.

Slovakia (silver) and Czech Republic (bronze) filled out the podium.

The Australians stopped the clock in 3 minutes and 6.731 seconds, more than four seconds adrift of Germany (3:02.143), who led from start to finish.

At 33, Wallace could be considered to be in the twilight of his decorated career, which includes an Olympic gold (K1 500m) and bronze (K1 1,000m) from Beijing in 2008, as well as another third place earlier in the Rio program in the K2 1,000m alongside Lachy Tame.

But he suggested he could continue well beyond Rio because of the talent coming through the Australian ranks, as illustrated by the likes of Fitzsimmons and Wood, who are 20 and 22 respectively.

"These guys here are the ones that push you through when you're sore and tired, and you didn't want to get out of bed in the morning," Wallace said.

"These guys would be at training looking at you going 'Oi, we're in the same boat — where are you?'

"They're the ones that motivate you to get out of bed. If these guys hang around I would like to think that I could too."