TOKYO — A young American has created Olympic history in Tokyo. Nevin Harrison, a 19-year-old from the United States, won the first-ever canoe sprint gold medal for a woman.
An American Makes Canoe Sprint History At The Tokyo Olympics
Statistically, Harrison is only the third female teenager to win an Olympic canoe sprint race, and she did it by being the first U.S. woman to take gold in a brand new event, the women’s 200-meter canoe single. The Canadian Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, winner of numerous world championships, and a former idol of Harrison’s, beat her in the 200-meter race.
In 2019, Harrison won the global championship in her sport, and she hopes that this moment in history will help increase the sport’s popularity in the United States.
“Harrison remarked, “We have a very fantastic community in the U.S.,” but it’s a small one because not many athletes are involved. So, I’m hoping this will put it on the map and attract both girls like me and boys to participate.
For the simple reason that it’s a really fun sport to do. It’s exciting and challenging, and it would be great to see the United States catch up to some of our international rivals.”
Third Gold Medal for New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington
A third gold medal for New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington in kayaking was awarded to her on Thursday, giving her a total of five for her Olympic career, which began in London in 2012.
She has broken the record for most Olympic gold medals earned by a single athlete from her country.
“It’s incredibly wonderful,” Carrington gushed. “To a child, an Olympian represented the pinnacle of success and achievement. As for me, [it was] unthinkable that I could actually pull off.”
Last Words
Carrington can yet earn more medals. Starting on Friday, she’ll compete in the women’s four-five hundred-meter kayaking event. Thanks for reading our article An American Makes Canoe Sprint History At The Tokyo Olympics.
