Canadian canoe star Laurence Vincent Lapointe announces retirement

Canadian canoe sprinter Laurence Vincent Lapointe announced her retirement from the sport on Monday, saying she had accomplished everything she wanted as an Olympian.

The 29-year-old from Trois-Rivières, Que., won two medals at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, with silver in the women's C1 200-metre and bronze in the C2 500 alongside Katie Vincent. It was the first time women competed in canoe events at the Olympics, which Vincent Lapointe lobbied for.

"I've come to the realization that I've accomplished everything I wanted to do by going to the Olympic Games and finally seeing the women be allowed in the Games. I realize that I've done everything I wanted, and this is where I want to finish," Vincent Lapointe said in an Instagram post.

Vincent Lapointe is also a 13-time world champion and holds the world record in the C1 200. She now plans to focus on her new career in physio therapy.

The canoe star nearly missed her Olympic opportunity after she was provisionally suspended for a doping violation in 2019, forcing her to miss the 2019 world championships while trying to qualify for Tokyo.

But she was permitted to return to competition after an International Canoe Federation anti-doping panel ruled that she did not knowingly ingest an illegal substance, as the violation was caused by contamination from her ex-boyfriend.

WATCH l Vincent Lapointe inspiring next generation of athletes: