Canada’s Katie Vincent and Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, once rivals for a spot at the Olympics, rowed in unison on Saturday in Tokyo and propelled their canoe to an historic Olympic bronze medal. Then they fell out of the boat celebrating.
The duo placed third in the women’s 500-metre sprint canoe final in one minute 59.041 seconds. China (1:55.495), and Ukraine (1:57.499), took gold and silver respectively.
It was historic for two reasons.
They were among the first women to win medals in their sport, as female paddlers competed in canoe at the Olympics for the first time in Tokyo.
Second, it was Canada’s 23rd medal at these Games (six gold, six silver, and 11 bronze), which breaks the national record for medals earned at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics. Canada claimed 22 medals at both Atlanta 1996, and Rio 2016.
It was the second time to the podium in Tokyo for Vincent-Lapointe, who took silver in the women’s C-1 200m sprint canoe race two days earlier. Vincent raced that final too, but finished eighth, left searching for redemption in the C-2 boat.
Months ago, it appeared Canada would only have one Olympic spot in the C-1 200m. The women were forced to compete for it at Canadian trials in Burnaby, B.C. The pair split two races there, setting up a winner-takes-all showdown which Vincent won by 0.032 seconds. Vincent was named to the Canadian Olympic team.
Vincent-Lapointe had been suspended for a doping violation in 2019. It turned her life upside down and ruled out her chances to compete in Olympic qualification. After a lengthy legal process that cost her six months of competition, Vincent-Lapointe was deemed to be a victim of third-party contamination – via the body fluids of her ex-boyfriend who took the substance – and reinstated to compete.
Eventually, Canada was granted a second spot in the C-1 and a chance for both women to compete together as a team in the C-2.
“I went through a lot of things in the last few years and with COVID it was never was not easy for anyone,” said Vincent-Lapointe. “I understood in the last few years that working by oneself is good but working with a team is even better.”
Both women had fallen for the sport long before it was included in the Olympics. They had won world championships together in the C-2 500-metre event, and Vincent-Lapointe had won several alone in the C-1 too.
Vincent and Vincent-Lapointe took an early lead in the Olympic final on Saturday on a rain-interrupted day at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo. They fell behind early on and crossed the halfway mark in fifth place.
They paddled in mesmerizing synchronicity, willing their canoe back into medal contention. It’s an arduous task to plunge paddles into the water for 500 meters, but they persisted through the burn, as their boat surged at over 15 km/hr. They held off the hard-charging Germans, who finished 0.902 seconds behind them.
Exhausted and relieved, they gasped and stretched their backs. Soon they toppled out of their boat and in the water, floating until a rescue boat came by to give them a friendly tow to shore.
That’s where Canadian coaches and fellow paddlers were waiting to wrap the two sopping-wet medallists up in hugs. The two finally pulled one big Canadian flag around both of their shoulders.
As they stepped on the podium to receive their medals, the rain pounded down again. Their matching Canada track suits soaked, they raised their arms in celebration.
“We were going for gold but, you know, it felt so good, especially after our journeys over the last few years,” said Vincent. “We’re really grateful and just so happy.”
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