Nevin Harrison wins first Olympic gold medal in women’s canoeing

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Nevin Harrison will compete in the individual 200-meter semifinals in the women’s canoe singles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on August 5, 2021.

After becoming the first American sprint canoe world champion in 2019, Nevin Harrison made even more history on Thursday in Tokyo by winning the first ever Olympic gold medal in women’s canoeing.

Harrison had the best time in the women’s C-1,200 meters in her prelim, semifinals and finals, where she won in a time of 45.932 seconds. And she did it by beating one of the sport’s true greats, six-time C-1 200 world champion Laurence Vincent-Lapointe of Canada, by 0.854 seconds. Harrison got off to a quick start and never looked back at what led wire to wire. Liudmyla Luzan of Ukraine finished third, 1.102 seconds back.

“I’m definitely still dreaming,” said Harrison after the race. “This is crazy, I’m speechless … I’m so excited. It’s the perfect thing I could have wished for, I couldn’t have wished for anything better. “

Harrison’s gold medal is the first ever Olympic canoe medal for Team USA since Greg Barton won bronze in the men’s K-1 1000 at the 1992 Barcelona Games. And it was the first Olympic medal for a US woman in canoeing – all before 2020. The women’s Olympic competitions have been in kayaks – since 1964. It is only the fifth Olympic medal for Team USA in a canoeing event, and the first since 1948 .

“What a wonderful group of girls, great girls on this podium with me,” said Harrison. “I’m really lucky. On the way out we hugged and said, ‘We’re making history.’ Because it’s us, this is our first year and I’m so excited to be a gold medalist in the first year, that’s crazy. “

The 19-year-old from Seattle, Washington originally dreamed of making her Olympic debut in athletics, but a diagnosis of hip dysplasia led her to opt for a sport with less stress.

“It taught me very early on that you can’t take anything for granted,” said Harrison, “and it gave me a whole new perspective on life, everything, it makes this moment even better.”

Harrison started canoeing at the age of 12 and won her historic world championship at 17. That title secured Team USA’s Olympic quota spot at the event, a spot they claimed in the ACA Sprint Olympic & National Team Trial last March. Harrison admitted having some nerve as she prepared for the biggest race of her career.

“It was definitely scary,” she said. “I was just telling myself, that’s it, that’s all of the work that comes together. Those 45 seconds are really important this time. I just gave everything. I am really happy with my performance. It is great.”

Would you like to follow Team USA athletes during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? visit TeamUSA.org/Tokyo2020 to view the medal table, results and the competition schedule.


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