13 canoe/kayak sprint athletes named to Canadian Olympic team
Athletes were selected after the national trials over the weekend.
Thirteen canoe/kayak sprint athletes were nominated to compete for Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday.
Athletes were selected for Team Canada based on their performances at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Sprint National Team Trials, which were held at the Montreal Olympic Basin this past weekend.
Katie Vincent, who was a bronze medallist in the women’s C-2 500m event at Tokyo 2020, headlines the team as she gets set to make her second Olympic appearance. She will compete in that event with Sloan MacKenzie, who is making her Olympic debut, and will also compete in the individual C-1 event. As a pair, they won gold at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, and in May they won a silver medal in the women’s C-2 500m event at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Hungary.
Individually, Vincent has won 12 world championships over the years, nine of them gold, including a gold in the C-1 500m event in Duisburg, Germany in 2023. She also won a gold in the women’s C-1 200m event at the aforementioned World Cup event in Tokyo.
“It’s hard to find the words in this special moment,” said Vincent in a press release after being named to the team on Monday. “After the Tokyo Olympics, I had no idea what the road to Paris was going to look like, there were many unknowns. To be here today with new coaches and teammates going to my second Olympics gives me so much pride and joy.
“I can honestly say we have one of the best teams in the world both on and off the water and I can’t wait to enjoy the next six weeks with my teammates and coaches!”
Finishing one place behind Vincent in the C-1 200m at the World Cup in Hungary was Sophia Jensen, who earned silver. The 22-year-old will make her Olympic debut in Paris, a few months after earning a bronze medal in the women’s C-1 200m at Santiago 2023. Jensen was the junior world champion in the event in 2018 and 2019, and won gold in the same event at the 2021 U23 world championships.
In women’s kayak, Michelle Russell will make her second Olympic appearance after competing in the women’s K-1 200m, K-1 500m and K-4 500m at Tokyo 2020. She won gold in K-1 500m at Santiago 2023, and booked a spot for Canada at the Olympics with a sixth-placed finish at the 2023 world championships.
Courtney Stott, Natalie Davison, Riley Melanson and Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka will all be making their Olympic debuts in the women’s K-4 500m. Competing together, they won a silver medal in the event at the Pan Am Games last year.
Connor Fitzpatrick will make his second Olympic appearance in Paris, competing in the men’s C-1 1000m. He booked Canada’s Olympic spot in the event at the Pan American Qualifier in April, a few months after winning bronze in event at Santiago 2023. Fitzpatrick also made the final at the 2023 World Championships.
In the men’s K-4 500m event, Simon McTavish, Nicholas Matveev and Pierre-Luc Poulin will make their second Olympic appearance, joined by Olympic debutant Laurent Lavigne. This group won a silver medal together at Santiago 2023, and qualified the boat for Paris 2024 at the 2023 world championships.
“With Paris around the corner and securing a place on this incredible Team Canada, there are a lot of emotions and pride being nominated to an Olympic team.” said Poulin in a press release. “The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games made a mark for me in my paddling career and I’m looking forward to making the Paris Olympics one to remember.”
Canoe/kayak sprint made its Olympic debut at Berlin 1936, and since then Canada has won 26 medals in the event. In terms of total medals won, that is fourth on the list of most successful sports for Canada, behind athletics, swimming, and rowing.
Canoe/kayak sprint will take place from August 6 to 10 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
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