Biology major claims second Olympic medal in photo finish canoe sprint
Nevin Harrison captured gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021)
In a nail-biting finale that came down to a mere one-hundredth of a second, San Diego State University student Nevin Harrison claimed the silver medal in the C-1 200 meters canoe sprint at the 2024 Olympic Games in France.
Saturday's race, which was decided by a dramatic photo finish, saw Canada's Katie Vincent crossing the line in record-breaking time of 44.12 seconds with Harrison clocking in at 44.13, both under the previous world record.
Harrison, a third-year biology student at SDSU, captured gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) and was seeking to become the first woman in U.S. history to win consecutive gold medals. Despite a series of physical setbacks --- including a back injury that sidelined her for a month, a hamstring injury and coaching change --- she beat her time of 45.9 seconds recorded at the last Olympics.
"This medal comes with so much emotion and gratitude for everyone who has been a part of this journey. This year has been so hard but I couldn’t be more proud of myself and my team for pushing through," Harrison posted on her verified Instagram account.
"The biggest thanks to my coach, who brought me out of such a dark place and gave me love and passion for this sport again. My friends, my team, my psychologist, my family, my boyfriend, my fat puppy, I can’t thank you enough. My heart pours out with gratitude. This year has healed me and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. This wasn’t just for me, this is OUR medal. I love each and every one of you."
Harrison was one of three Aztecs competing in this year’s games. United States golfer Xander Schauffele, winner of two majors in 2024 (PGA Championship and the Open Championship), finished ninth in men's golf, and SDSU Hall of Famer Shanieka Thomas, representing Jamaica, won silver in the triple jump.
Harrison, a Seattle native, is expecting to return from Paris this week ahead of SDSU’s first of day classes on Aug. 26, she told SDSU NewsCenter.
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