Tokyo medallist Vincent leads Canada’s sprint canoe/kayak team into Paris Olympics

Jun 24, 2024 | 10:17 AM

MONTREAL — Olympic medallist Katie Vincent will lead Canada’s canoe/kayak sprint team at the Paris Games this summer.

Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Canada’s 13-athlete roster for the Games on Monday.

Vincent, from Mississauga, Ont., teamed with Laurence Vincent Lapointe to win the bronze medal in the women’s C-2 500 metres three years ago as women’s sprint canoe made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sloan MacKenzie of Windsor Junction, N.S., will team with Vincent in the event in Paris. The pair won bronze in the C-2 500m at the 2023 canoe sprint world championships, which qualified Canada in the event at the upcoming Olympics.

Sophia Jensen of Chelsea, Que., will also compete in sprint canoe in Paris, while Ottawa’s Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka, Natalie Davison of Manotick, Ont., Riley Melanson of Dartmouth, N.S., Michelle Russell of Fall River, N.S., and Courtney Stott of Pickering, Ont., will compete in sprint kayak.

On the men’s side, Connor Fitzpatrick of Dartmouth will compete in sprint canoe and Laurent Lavigne of Trois-Rivières, Que., Toronto’s Nicholas Matveev, Simon McTavish of Oakville, Ont., and Pierre-Luc Poulin of Lac-Beauport, Que., will race in sprint kayak.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press