PARIS, FRANCE August 12, 2024) – Canada is bringing home some new hardware thanks to Katie Vincent and Sloan MacKenzie.
In only the second Olympic Games to incorporate women’s sprint canoe, Canada has won both a bronze and a historic gold medal while also smashing records in both the Women’s C2 500m and the Women’s C1 200m.
Repeating Tokyo 2020’s finish, Katie Vincent and Sloan MacKenzie paddled to the podium in the Women’s C2 500m placing third in a photo finish missing out on silver by only 0.06 of a second to claim bronze. In the C2 heats, MacKenzie and Vincent also achieved the Olympic Record with a 1:54.16 time. Canada now holds both the World Best and Olympic Best times in the Women’s C2 500m with Laurence Vincent-Lapointe and Vincent holding the world’s best time at 1:51.42 in 2018.
Later in the competition history was made when Katie Vincent, in another incredible photo finish, achieved Olympic Champion status by winning gold in the Women’s C1 200m defeating American Nevin Harrison by just one-one hundredth of a second. With a time of 44.12, Vincent now holds both the World and Olympic record in the Women’s C1 200m. This is the first ever Olympic gold medal for Canada in a women’s canoe or kayak event.
“Honestly, I got back to my hotel and said to myself, that’s enough bronze medals for one cabinet so I wanted to come back today and try improve on that,” said Vincent. “I think I am still shaking. It’s the fastest I’ve ever raced so to have a PB and a World Record, I’m not sure I have the words.”
Sophia Jensen also raced in the C1 200m, coming in 6th in her first ever Olympic Games.
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Jensen. “The 200m is a pretty key event and everyone in that final is a champion so this has been a great experience.”
Canada has now placed on the podium at the Olympic Games in all women’s canoe events since its inclusion in Tokyo 2020.
For full Olympic results, click here.
Photos: CKC/Vera Buscu