TOKYO, JAPAN (July 28, 2021) – Women’s canoe made its Olympic debut today along with the start of the men’s kayak heats at the Kasai Slalom Centre.
Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) did not advance to the semifinals today but the significance of the historical day was not lost.
“I am so proud to be here. It was a huge fight to become an Olympic sport and I can’t believe that we are finally here. I wish that I had done better today and wish I was fighting for a medal but unfortunately I got a 50-second penalty which put me out of the running. I have had to fight for 12 years to get here so just being here is really special.”
Canadian teammate Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) also did not advance into the semifinals despite a valiant effort on the race course in Tokyo.
“It was a tough one out there for me today. I really gave it my all but I had a lot of challenges and injuries coming into this so I was really just happy to be on the start line today and did everything I could.”
The team will be returning home following an extended training block away from Canada. Congratulations to the entire team for their efforts in Tokyo.
“We originally set out to qualify a full roster of athletes for the Tokyo Games and we achieved that objective sending a full slalom team for first time since the Sydney 2000 Games,” added Senior High Performance Manager James Cartwright. “The journey to Tokyo was much longer and tougher than anyone ever imagined, and I am incredibly proud of the athletes and coaches for their commitment throughout the journey and for representing Canada with pride. They have been outside of Canada since February and have earned a well-deserved break before we turn our focus towards to the upcoming World Championships in Bratislava in September.”
For full results click here.
The Canadian entries are listed below.
| Event | Athlete |
| K1 Men | Michael Tayler |
| K1 Women | Florence Maheu |
| C1 Men | Cameron Smedley |
| C1 Women | Haley Daniels |
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
-30-
For more information:
Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead