Almonte’s Isabel Lowry wins three golds at junior canoe sprint worlds

Almonte’s Isabel Lowry is now a triple world champion in sprint canoe.

The 17-year-old paddler captured three gold medals this past weekend while representing Team Canada at the International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal over the weekend.

Lowry won the women’s C2 200m with partner Émilie Laliberte, then captured the C1 200m title with a time of 49.31 seconds. She rounded out her medal haul by anchoring Canada’s comeback victory in the junior women’s C4 500m final, teaming up with Laliberte, Grace Theunissen and Madeleine Beauregard to post a time of 1:56.58 — more than two seconds ahead of Ukraine and Hungary.

“It feels surreal,” Lowry told the International Canoe Federation after her third win. “It’s so amazing to have these feelings and to share it with my family and community from my country, so it’s great.

“I was feeling confident coming into today,” she continued. “The competition for the 200m was insane but the C2 gold yesterday definitely helped me. There was only a 20-minute turnover for the C4, but it turned out to be awesome.”

The championships drew top young athletes from around the world, and the final day saw Pan American nations dominate the podium. Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys and the United States’ Jonas Ecker also earned gold medals, building momentum for the continent ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In October 2023, Mississippi Mills council recognized Lowry for her performances at the Olympic Hopes regatta. On social media, the municipality shared its congratulations again following her success in Portugal.

“Mississippi Mills is beaming with pride, and we can’t wait to see what you will do next,” the town said in a statement.

For more about Lowry’s results at the Junior World Championships, visit: https://tinyurl.com/9na8bfys