VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France — Seattle's Nevin Harrison began her defense of the gold medal in the canoe sprint single she won at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday morning in Paris.
Harrison won her initial heat to guarantee herself a spot in the semifinals on Saturday morning from Vaires-Sur-Marne, France. Her time of 45.70 seconds in the 200m was the fastest of any in the five heats.
"It felt OK. I feel like I have a lot more in my tank. It wasn't my smoothest 200 ever but working off the nerves kind of trying to get a feel for the waters," Harrison told KING 5's Chris Egan after her race. "I just wanted to feel strong, feel smooth and work off the jitters."
Harrison won the gold medal in Tokyo at just 19 years old, becoming the first American woman to win a canoe or kayak sprint title at the Olympics.
A graduate of Seattle's Roosevelt High School, Harrison now lives and trains in San Diego while she attends school.
The Paris Olympics are extra special for Harrison as pandemic conditions in 2021 made it difficult for many families of athletes to join them in Tokyo. This time around, Harrison has a group of family and friends in Paris to cheer her on.
"All the people I love the most are here, which is such a wonderful thing compared to Tokyo so I can't wait to go give them all hugs," Harrison told Egan.
Harrison is confident in her abilities and will be the top seed in the semifinals on Saturday. If she advances, she will then race later that same day for a chance at another Olympic gold medal.