The canoe sprint finals kicked off on 8 August with the men’s C2-500m event, where China’s Hao Liu and Ji Bowen claimed gold with an impressive time of 1:39.48. The Chinese pair, who had already set an Olympic best during the qualifying rounds, maintained a commanding lead throughout the race, ultimately securing their country's third Olympic gold in this discipline. Italy’s Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini took silver in a nail-biting finish that required a photo review, edging out the Spanish duo of Diego Dominguez and Joan Moreno, who earned bronze by just 0.20 seconds.

The women’s K4-500m final followed, where New Zealand ended a decades-long dominance by Germany and Hungary in this event. The New Zealand team, led by the legendary Lisa Carrington alongside Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett, and Tara Vaughan, clinched gold with a time of 1:32.20. The Germans secured silver, narrowly ahead of Hungary, who took bronze. This victory marked Carrington’s sixth Olympic gold, further cementing her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

The day concluded with another intense race in the men’s K4-500m category. The German team of Max Rendschmidt, Max Lemke, Jacob Schopf, and Tom Liebscher-Lucz made history by winning their third consecutive Olympic gold in this event. The race was incredibly close, with the Germans finishing just 0.04 seconds ahead of Australia, who took silver, while Spain rounded out the podium with a bronze.

On 9 August, the finals continued with more remarkable performances. The women’s C2-500m saw China’s Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya defend their Tokyo 2020 title with a time of 1:52.81, breaking the Olympic record in the process. The Chinese duo dominated the race from start to finish, leaving Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Rybachok to claim silver, while the Canadian pair of Sloan Mackenzie and Katie Vincent took bronze.

The women’s K2-500m final was another showcase for Lisa Carrington, who, alongside Alicia Hoskin, won her seventh Olympic gold medal. The New Zealand duo led from the start and crossed the finish line in 1:37.28, successfully defending their title from Tokyo. Hungary took silver, while bronze was shared between two teams—the second Hungarian pair and the German duo—after they crossed the line simultaneously in a rare double medal award.

In the men’s K2-500m final, Germany’s Jacob Schopf and Max Lemke continued their winning streak, securing gold with a time of 1:26.87. The race was fiercely contested, with Hungary taking silver and Australia securing bronze after a close photo finish. 

The final race of the day, deciding the men's individual canoe competition over 1000 meters, was won by Czech Martin Fuksa, with Brazil's Isaquias Queiroz taking silver and Moldova's Serghei Tarnovschi winning bronze. Fuksa, who arrived at the venue as the current world champion and after placing fifth in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, crossed the finish line with an Olympic record of 3:43.16. The feat was the result of a performance filled with strength and speed, two factors that did not wane throughout the race.

The final day of the canoe sprint events on 10 August was filled with historic achievements. Lisa Carrington added to her remarkable legacy by winning the women’s K1-500m with a time of 1:47.36, earning her eighth Olympic gold and tying with Birgit Fischer as the most decorated canoe athlete in Olympic history. Hungary’s Tamara Csipes took silver, while Denmark’s Emma Aastrand Orgensen claimed bronze, becoming Denmark’s most decorated female Olympian.

In the men’s K1-1000m final, Czech paddler Josef Dostál secured gold with a time of 3:24.07, completing his collection of Olympic medals. The Czech athlete surged ahead in the second half of the race, overtaking Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta, and held off challenges from Hungary’s Adam Varga and Balint Kopasz, who took silver and bronze respectively.

Another significant moment came in the women’s C1-200m final, where Canada’s Katie Vincent made history by winning the country’s first-ever Olympic gold in a women’s canoe or kayak event. Vincent edged out American Nevin Harrison by just 0.01 seconds in a thrilling photo finish, with Cuba’s Yarisleidi Cirilo Duboys taking bronze.

The canoe sprint events at the Paris Olympics were a testament to the athletes' dedication and the sport's growing global appeal. From the dominance of China and New Zealand to the record-breaking feats of Lisa Carrington and Josef Dostál, these competitions will be remembered for the high level of competition and the many historic moments they produced. The Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium provided the perfect backdrop for these thrilling events, leaving fans and athletes alike with memories that will last a lifetime.