Over the course of two weeks, several athletes with connections to York University took part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and walked away notable contributions that added to the collective success of Canada winning a country-best 27 medals this summer.
In the Women’s Canoe Single 200m event, York U Faculty of Health student Katie Vincent became the first Canadian to ever win Olympic gold in any women’s canoe or kayak event. She did so while setting a new world record for best time. Vincent also won a bronze medal in the Women’s Canoe Doubles 500m for the second Olympics in a row.
Alumnae Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Parades earned a silver medal in Women’s Beach Volleyball, representing Canada’s first medal in the women’s event and the country’s best result in the sport overall. It was an even more impressive accomplishment given the pair have only been competing as partners since October 2022, and this marked their first Olympics together as a team.
As a member of Canada’s women's rugby sevens team, Asia Hogan-Rochester – who played with the York Lions women’s rugby team in 2018 – captured a silver medal during the Olympics, marking the country’s best Olympic result in the sport to date.
Among other York-affiliated competitors at the 2024 Olympics, shooting athlete Shannon Westlake – a York U alumna – ranked 32 in the qualification round of the women’s 5m rifle three positions; accomplished judo athlete Shady Elnahas, who competed as a wrestler at York U in 2017, made it to the round of 16; and beach volleyball player Dan Dearing, who played with the Lion’s men’s volleyball team from 2011 to 2013, nearly made it to the round of 16 with his partner.