Sprint canoeists Sloan Mackenzie and Katie Vincent started their quest for a medal at the Paris Games in commanding fashion, paddling to an Olympic best time as they secured a berth in the women's double 500-metre semifinals.
The Canadians spent the first half of their heat in a tight battle with eventual second-place finisher Spain, but put on a burst of speed in the last 150 metres to surge ahead and win the race in a time of one minute 54:16 seconds.
"I’m getting a little older so these things hurt a little bit more," a laughing Vincent said of the last push. "But it’s part of the game and it’s what we train for."
The Mississauga, Ont., athlete said she can feel a little queasy at the end of the first race of a big competition, "but Sloan’s queasy at the start, so we balance each other out," she said, gesturing to her partner. "She’s a little nervous before and I’m a little sick after."
Vincent previously won a bronze medal in the event with former partner Laurence Vincent Lapointe in Tokyo 2020, which was the first Olympics to include women’s canoe events.
Vincent said she felt the support and energy from their family and supporters in the stands, who weren't able to attend the Games in Tokyo due to COVID-19.
“That’s fuelling us a lot in that last 150 when you have that crowd and can be proud of being Canadian and being out on the water," she said.
Vincent and Mackenzie's top-two finish meant they qualified directly for Friday's semifinal.
Mackenzie, from Junction, N.S., described her Olympic debut as "really cool experience."
"We had a race plan, we stuck to it, which was exciting and it all came together at the end," she said.
All five Canadian boats who were on the water on Tuesday advanced to their respective 500-metre semifinals during canoe-kayak sprint events at Vaires-sur-Marne nautical stadium, though only Vincent and Mackenzie finished high enough in their heats to advance directly.
The kayak four men's team of Laurent Lavigne, Pierre-Luc Poulin, Nicholas Matveev and Simon McTavish secured their spot in their own quarterfinal, as did the women's kayak four.
Lavigne said the quarterfinal felt great, and that he feels the Canadian team has more to give going forward.
"It was amazing, these are my first Olympics, I could feel the pressure but also the excitement," the Trois-Rivières, Quebec native said. "It's a great mix of emotion, especially when you're about to do what you love on the water."
He said the team's next goal is to qualify for the finals, then turn their eyes to a medal.
"I think from now on it's to keep the confidence we got from that race and keep getting ready for Aug. 8," he said.
Poulin and McTavish were the final Canadian boat of the day and secured their own semifinal spot with a third-place result in the men's kayak doubles quarterfinals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2024.
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