Put this photo in the history books.
Katie Vincent won gold in a photo finish in the women’s canoe single 200 metres on Saturday, setting a Canadian Olympic record in the process.
It was Canada’s 25th medal at Paris 2024 — a national record for a non-boycotted Summer Games. Canada won 24 medals three years ago in Tokyo.
It was also Canada’s record eighth gold medal, one more than the country won in Tokyo and in 1992 in Barcelona.
“This has been my dream since I was a kid,” Vincent told CBC Olympics.
“… I have no words right now. I’m just so excited. We’ve worked so hard to get here so it’s pretty emotional.”
Vincent finished in a world-best time of 44.12 seconds, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of reigning Olympic champ Nevin Harrison of the United States in a thrilling dash to the line.
Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys, the reigning world champion, was third. The podium featured the past three winners at the worlds.
“I’ve raced C-1 200 my whole career and that’s the fastest I’ve gone by a good margin,” Vincent said. “If you dig a little deeper when the moment counts, I think that’s what the Olympics is — showing up in the big moment. I think I was able to do that today and that’s what I’m most proud of right now.”
It was the second medal in Paris for Vincent, who won bronze with Sloan MacKenzie of Dartmouth, N.S., in the women’s double 500-m on Friday. The 28-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native also won a bronze in 2021 in the women’s double with Laurence Vincent Lapointe.
“Hard work, man,” Vincent said when asked what has led to her success. “We’ve put in so many hours as a team, my coaches and all the support from my family and friends.”
It was the first-ever Olympic gold for Canada in a women’s canoe or kayak event.
Vincent captured gold in the single 200-m at the world championships in 2021. Harrison is a two-time world champion in the 200.
Sophia Jensen of Chelsea, Que., who qualified for the final by finishing third in the semifinal, ended up in sixth.
