The Chinese pair of Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya powered to victory in the women's canoe double 500 metre final at the Paris Games on Friday, setting a new Olympic record of 1:52.81 and breaking the mark of 1:53.73 that they set earlier in the day.

Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Rybachok came in second to take silver, with Canada's Sloan Mackenzie and Katie Vincent finishing third to claim bronze.

With a tailwind providing some of the choppiest waters seen at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, Xu and Sun got off to an excellent start but the Canadians kept the pressure on them before fading over the final stretch.

This is the national team's second canoe sprint medal at the Paris Games.

Meanwhile, China's freestyle wrestler Zou Wanhao was not able to make a comeback in the men’s 57 kilogramme category at the Games.

The 26-year-old lost by a final score of 7-4 to Kyrgyzstan's Bekzat Almaz Uulu in the repechage, bringing his debut Olympic run to an end.

Uulu will next face Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in the bronze medal bout. (Additional reporting by Reuters)
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Last updated: 2024-08-09 HKT 20:18