American canoeist Nevin Harrison misses repeat Olympic gold in sprint 200 final on photo finish

VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France (AP) — American Nevin Harrison came within a photo finish of winning her second straight Olympic gold medal in the women's canoe sprint 200-meter event on Saturday.

Katie Vincent of Canada edged her in a world-best 44.12 seconds. Harrison's time was 44.13 seconds — significantly better than the 45.93 she posted when she won the inaugural event in Tokyo at age 19.

Harrison didn't guess the outcome after she crossed the finish line and chose patience over premature celebration. When the winner was announced, Harrison was somber before putting the moment in perspective.

“I mean, having come off gold from Tokyo into a silver, it’s disappointing in the moment," Harrison said. “But I think in reflection, it’s nothing but pride and feeling really happy with myself that I went out there and fought as hard as I did.”

Harrison has faced numerous challenges since winning in Tokyo in 2021. She fought through chronic lower back pain and a hamstring injury. Mental health issues — some coming from the pressure of being a gold medalist — nearly derailed her plans and made her unsure if she'd get a chance to defend her title.

She said any medal would have made her happy given all she's had to overcome.

“I think the support system I had around me, my sports psychologist, my coach, my family, my friends — all of them built me back into the person that I am right now," she said. “And if you would have asked me a year ago today, I would not be standing here.”

Harrison knew she was back in top form when she posted the fastest qualifying time of 45.70 seconds on Thursday, giving her confidence that a medal was possible.

“I think it just sort of reminded me that I am capable of stacking up against these girls when I felt like I wasn’t able to in the last year or two," she said. "So it brought me back, I think, into my own confidence a little bit.”

Harrison tore ligaments in her neck right before the Olympics. A lidocaine patch used for numbing was visible under her medal after the race.

She expects to get imaging done when she returns to the United States.

“You always wonder, what if I didn’t hurt myself last week?" she said. "What would I have been able to do? But ultimately, you can’t change what’s happened and you really just have to take it day by day. And that’s what I’ve done. And I couldn’t be more proud.”

Harrison was happy to share the moment with family and friends. She wasn’t able to in Tokyo because the coronavirus pandemic limited travel.

“I definitely got yelled out by security just now because I went through the gate,” she said. “But giving my mom, my dad, my boyfriend all hugs was so worth it.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games