"Black eye shiner for two weeks" - Canadian rower Maya Meschkuleit opens up on tragedy due to excitement after winning medal at Paris Olympics

Maya Meschkuleit, the Canadian rower, recently talked about getting a shiner after being hit with her silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. After clinching the coveted podium at the Games, the team decided to execute a synchronized jump and while doing that, Meschkuleit sustained a black eye.

Meschkuleit was part of the women's eight crew alongside Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Avalon Wasteneys, Sydney Payne, Kristen Kit (coxswain) Caileigh Filmer, Jessica Sevick (bow), and Abby Dent (stroke). The Canadian team faced Australia and Great Britain and following a contentious couple of minutes, the British rowers secured the win and sent the Canadians to the repechage round.

The women's eight crew from Canada clocked 6:04.81 to finish second behind the US team, thus advancing to the finals. The diverse squad of veterans and first-time Olympians then secured second place in 5:58.84 behind the Romanian team in 5:54.39.

While on the podium, Maya Meschkuleit and her team decided to jump and celebrate the win. However, the maneuver wasn't in favor of the 23-year-old, who got hit in the face by her medal and sustained a shiner or a black eye. During an interview with CBC Sports on October 11, she talked about the incident and how the mark on her face stayed with her for two weeks.

"We'd all decided to jump, which was really exciting. I was like, 'I'm on the Olympic podium, here I am,' um, and no one tells you really how heavy the medals are. So I had her around my neck and I just really sent the jump and you can see in the picture I'm the only girl who's like really sending it. Clocked myself in the eye, black eyes, shiner for two weeks," she said to host Anastacia Bucsis. (2:24)

The Olympian added that her mother won't let her forget the embarrassing moment.

Maya Meschkuleit reveals her goals following her Paris Olympic run

Maya Meschkuleit has segregated her plans into two years and four years, unveiling her desire to pursue a master's degree after graduating from Yale University, and winning the Olympic gold medal in 2028. In the same interview, she said:

"I have my two-year plan. I'll be graduating Yale this coming spring, get my undergrad, and I'm looking at dong my masters after that. Obviously, the four-year goal is to hear the National Anthem with a gold around my neck in LA," she shared with Anastacia Bucsis in an exclusive CBC Sports interview. (6:54)

Maya Meschkuleit was also part of the women's eight crew that won the gold at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II.