Nicolas Gestin

Nicolas Gestin pronounced [nikɔla ʒɛstɛ̃] (born 30 March 2000) is a French slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2016. He is from Tréméven, Finistère in Brittany. He became Olympic Champion on home soil at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the C1 event. Gestin began paddling with his local club, Canoë Kayak Club Quimperlé. He made his first junior team in 2016, finishing 5th individually at the Junior Worlds in Kraków, also earning a bronze in the C1 team event. Nicolas received €1,000 from the Quimperlé community to help finance international travel. He dislocated his shoulder in August 2016, resulting in him missing the 2016 Junior Europeans and selection for the 2017 team. Gestin's breakthrough season was his last as a junior, where he earned four medals and made two World Cup finals. At the 2018 Junior Europeans he won a silver medal in both C1 and C1 team, followed by a gold in C1 team and a bronze individually at the 2018 Junior Worlds in Ivrea. Gestin has won three medals at the U23 World Championships with two golds in C1 (2019, 2021) and a bronze in the C1 team event (2021).