China wins women's canoe double 500m gold at Tokyo Olympics

Xu Shixiao (L)/Sun Mengya of China compete during the women's canoe double 500m semifinal of canoe sprint at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

TOKYO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya claimed the women's canoe double 500m gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games here on Saturday, which is China's first Olympic medal in women's canoe sprint.

World champions Xu and Sun, who set Olympic best time on Friday, refreshed their own mark at one minute and 55.495 seconds for their maiden Olympic title.

Liudmyla Luzan/Anastasiia Chetverikova of Ukraine, the reigning European champions, came second in 1:57.499.

Two-time world champions Laurence Vincent-Lapointe/Katie Vincent of Canada took the bronze in 1:59.041.