Adam Burgess Wins Silver in Men’s Canoe Singles at Olympics

Great Britain’s Adam Burgess clinched the silver medal in the men’s canoe singles final at the Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, marking his first Olympic medal. The 32-year-old delivered a strong performance, qualifying fourth fastest with a clean semi-final run and continuing his impressive form in the final.

Reflecting on his achievement, Burgess told BBC Sport, “This is a moment I’ve dreamed of all my life. There’s been so many times in races where I’ve not taken my opportunity and where a mistake put me off the podium, or turned into more mistakes. To see me go into first with just a few boats to go was absolutely magic.”

Burgess completed his run in 96.84 seconds, only to be surpassed by France’s Nicolas Gestin, who finished 5.48 seconds faster to secure the gold medal. Slovakia’s Matej Benus took the bronze, while reigning world champion Benjamin Savsek was penalized 50 seconds, placing him 11th.

Burgess’s success follows a narrow miss at the Tokyo Games, where he finished just 0.16 seconds off the podium, and a fifth-place finish at last year’s World Championships. Since then, he has incorporated yoga and breathwork into his training regimen, dubbing his preparation for the Games ‘Project Send It’ to ensure he left no room for regret.

His silver medal was Great Britain’s fifth of the day, adding to the country’s strong Olympic performance, including Kimberley Woods’s bronze in the kayak single (K1) event on Sunday.