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Team USA's young Nevin Harrison surprises with canoe single 200m gold

Posted at 10:24 PM, Aug 04, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-04 23:31:35-04

Finals in women's canoe single 200m, men's kayak single 200m, women's kayak single 500m and men's K-2 1000m from the Sea Forest Waterway at the Tokyo Olympics.

Men's K-1 200m Sprint Finals

RESULTS

A photo-finish final left Group A finalists lost in the water following a breathless race, excited and confused faces searching for definitive results after the eight kayakers crossed the finish line. When the smoke cleared, Hungary's Sandor Totka emerged victorious with a 35.035 finish. Italy's Manfredi Rizza scored silver with 35.080, and Great Britain's Liam Heath -- the Rio 2016 gold medalist who crushed the quarterfinals yesterday (with a faster time of 33.985 seconds) -- earned his second kayaking bronze with 35.202, having finished third in the K-2 200m event at London 2012.

Unfortunately, this discipline won't make an appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Women's C-1 200m Sprint

RESULTS

A new American champion in (atop?) the water!

Team USA's 19-year-old Nevin Harrison -- the youngest competitor in the final, who hails from Seattle -- won the first-ever women's C-1 200m in a blazing 45.932, the only racer to finish sub-46 seconds. The 2019 World Championships gold medalist won by more than a nose, defeating Canada's silver medalist Laurence Vincent-Lapointe and Ukraine's bronze medalist Liudmyla Luzan.

After her emotional victory, a tearful Harrison embraced her coaches. "You beast!" one of her teammates said, earning laughs. "An Olympic champion!"

Further canoe/kayak finals updates to come ...