Canada's Katie Vincent takes Olympic gold in women's 200m canoe sprint (2024)

VAIRES-sur-MARNE, France — Katie Vincent made a statement with a spectacular semifinal effort to beat the defending Olympic champion.

Then, she dethroned her in a world-record time.

The 28-year-old from Mississauga, Ont. beat American star Nevin Harrison in a thrilling photo finish to win the gold medal in the women’s C1 200 metres sprint final Saturday at the Vaires-sur-Marne nautical stadium. It is Vincent’s second medal in two days and third over two Summer Games.

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Vincent finished in 44.12 seconds while Harrison clocked in one-hundredth of a second later at 44.13.

The 5-foot-9 standout became the first golden Canadian in an Olympic canoe or kayak event since current member of Parliament Adam van Koeverden won the K1 500m at the 2004 Athens Games. She is also the first Canadian female to hit the top of the podium in a canoe event; while male paddlers have been competing for Olympic medals since 1936, women’s races were only added to the Olympic schedule for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Harrison, a Seattle native, won the first women’s C1 200m event three years ago at age 18.

Vincent had the best time of both semifinals, clocking in at 45.01 seconds, while Sophia Jensen of Chelsea, Que. finished third in her semi in 45.66 seconds to put two Canadians in the final.

Vincent’s gold comes after she and Sloan MacKenzie captured bronze in the women’s C2 500-metre final Friday.

Canada won two medals in canoe and kayak events — a silver and bronze — at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Vincent, teamed up with Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, won bronze in the C2 500m and Vincent-Lapointe took silver in the C1 200 metre

Vincent made the final that year and it’s clear that experience helped her. She finished the job this time.

rpyette@postmedia.com

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