The 2024 Paris Olympics have witnessed extraordinary achievements in canoeing and kayaking events, with athletes setting new records and making history. New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington, often referred to as ‘The GOAT In The Boat’, secured her eighth Olympic gold medal in the women’s kayak single 500 meters event. Carrington’s time of 1:47.36 set a new Olympic record, cementing her status as one of the most decorated Olympians in the sport’s history. Her victory in Paris completes a remarkable streak of three consecutive gold medals in this event, following her wins in Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016.In the women’s canoe single 200 meters event, Canada’s Katie Vincent claimed gold with a world record time of 44.12 seconds. Vincent narrowly edged out American Nevin Harrison by just 0.01 seconds, with Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo taking bronze. Vincent’s victory marks Canada’s eighth gold medal of the Paris Games, contributing to their record-breaking medal haul.The men’s kayak single 1000 meters event saw Czech Republic’s Josef Dostal clinch gold with a time of 3:24.07, holding off strong challenges from Hungarian paddlers Adam Varga and Balint Kopasz.While these performances have captivated audiences, the Games have not been without controversy. American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street event, raised concerns about the quality of Olympic medals. Huston reported that his medal was ‘starting to flake off a bit’ and ‘looks like it’s been to war’. In response, the Paris 2024 organizing committee and the Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) have committed to ‘systematically replacing’ any damaged medals to ensure athletes receive high-quality awards for their achievements.
Key points
- Lisa Carrington of New Zealand won her eighth Olympic gold medal in kayaking, setting an Olympic record.
- Katie Vincent of Canada set a new world record in the women’s canoe single 200m event.
- Josef Dostal of the Czech Republic won gold in the men’s kayak single 1000m.
- Olympic organizers have promised to replace damaged medals after complaints about quality.
