Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have named 15 athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that begins on July 26.
Thirteen of them will aim for Olympic glory in the Canoe Sprint and two of them in the Canoe Slalom events.
Tokyo 2020 C2 bronze medallist Katie Vincent stands out among the sprint stars, and she will team up with debutant Sloan MacKenzie in the C2 500.
The duo won the Pan American Games gold medal last year and followed it up with a world bronze. A world champion in the C1 200, Vincent is more than capable of launching a challenge individually.
Sophia Jensen is another canoeist to look out for, having won three world medals at 22 and she will be keen on impressing at her Olympic debut.
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Michelle Russell is back in the fray for a second consecutive Olympics and will play a role in the K1. The Canadian K4 team of Courtney Stott, Natalie Davison, Riley Melanson and Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka are also set for their Games debut at Paris 2024.
The men’s C1 1000 will see two-time mixed C2 500 world champion Connor Fitzpatrick try his luck.
The men’s K4 will feature Simon McTavish, Nicholas Matveev, and Pierre-Luc Poulin who will make their second Olympic appearance. Laurent Lavigne is the debutant joining them as the fourth member at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Canada’s Canoe Sprint team in full: Katie Vincent, Sloan MacKenzie, Sophia Jensen, Michelle Russell, Connor Fitzpatrick, Courtney Stott, Natalie Davison, Riley Melanson, Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka, Simon McTavish, Nicholas Matveev, Pierre-Luc Poulin, and Laurent Lavigne.
Alex Baldoni and Lois Betteridge are the Slalom stars set to represent Canada in the French capital, with both preparing for their first Olympics Games.
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Born in France, Baldoni won a kayak cross silver at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games while Betteridge has two C1 silver medals from the continental multi-sport event from 2019 and 2023.
Apart from C1, Betteridge will contest in kayak cross and K1 while Baldoni will stick to men’s C1 and kayak cross events.
Canada’s Canoe Slalom team in full: Alex Baldoni and Lois Betteridge.
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