David Hearn (canoeist)

Davey Hearn
Personal information
Full nameDavid Carter Hearn
BornApril 17, 1959 (1959-04-17) (age 67)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight159 lb (72 kg)
RelativeCathy Hearn (sister)
Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's canoe slalom
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1979 JonquièreC1 team
Gold medal – first place1981 BalaC1 team
Gold medal – first place1983 MeranC1 team
Gold medal – first place1985 AugsburgC1
Gold medal – first place1985 AugsburgC1 team
Gold medal – first place1987 Bourg St.-MauriceC1 team
Gold medal – first place1989 Savage RiverC1 team
Gold medal – first place1995 NottinghamC1
Silver medal – second place1979 JonquièreC1
Silver medal – second place1981 BalaC1
Silver medal – second place1983 MeranoC1
Silver medal – second place1987 Bourg St.-MauriceC1
Silver medal – second place1989 Savage RiverC1
Men's wildwater canoeing
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1977 SpittalC2 team

David Carter Hearn (born April 17, 1959) is a former slalom canoeist who competed from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. He represented the United States at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Summer Olympics.

He is also known for having faced legal issues with the United States Park Police in 1996 and 2026, although both cases against him were ultimately dropped. In the latter case, which involved the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, federal prosecutors admitted that the charges had been premised on factual misrepresentations made by the Department of the Interior.

Career

David Hearn was born in 1959 in Bethesda, Maryland.[1] Hearn has said that his decision to begin pursuing a competitive career in canoe slalom came after hearing the news of Jamie McEwan's bronze medal in whitewater slalom at the 1972 Summer Olympics on the radio with his sister Cathy. He would often train at Great Falls with his sister and Jon Lugbill.[2]

Hearn won seven medals in the C1 event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with two golds (1985, 1995) and five silvers (1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989). He also won six consecutive world championship gold medals in the C1 team event (1979–1989).[3] Hearn competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish of ninth in the C1 event in Atlanta in 1996. Hearn's sister, Cathy, and his ex-brother-in-law, Lecky Haller, also competed in canoe slalom for the United States at the Olympics.[1]

In 1996, Hearn canoed in the Potomac River after heavy rains and was ordered to stop by United States Park Police officers, who asserted that it was dangerous. When he did not stop canoeing, he was arrested on charges of disobeying a police officer and resisting arrest.[4] The charges were dismissed because the Park Police did not have jurisdiction over the portion of the river that he was in.[5] Later that same year, he used his canoeing skills to help Park Police retrieve fishermen who were stranded offshore without life vests.[6]

On June 19, 2026, Hearn was arrested by the United States Park Police on suspicion of damaging government property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., after U.S. President Donald Trump falsely claimed that vandals had damaged the pool following its troubled $13.1 million renovation.[5] Hearn denied causing any damage, stating that he had only touched the pool's peeling paint.[5] He was indicted on one count of felony destruction of property on July 2, 2026, and pleaded not guilty on July 9.[7][8][9] The Department of Justice moved to dismiss the charges against Hearn on July 31, acknowledging that the damage to the pool resulted from defects in the renovation rather than vandalism.[10][11] Hearn's lawyers sought to have the charges dropped with prejudice to prevent further prosecutorial harassment, as Executive Branch officials continued to falsely claim that Hearn had damaged the pool despite a lack of evidence.[12]

World Cup individual podiums

1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
C178823[13]
Season Date Venue Position Event
1988[14][15][16]June 19, 1988Wausau3rdC1
June 26, 1988Savage River2ndC1
July 4, 1988South Bend1stC1
August 14, 1988Nottingham2ndC1
August 21, 1988Augsburg1stC1
3rdC1
1989[17][18]1stC1
2ndC1
2ndC1
August 12, 1989Mezzana2ndC1
August 20, 1989Tacen1stC1
1990[19]July 1, 1990Wausau2ndC1
1990Savage River3rdC1
August 12, 1990Augsburg2ndC1
August 18, 1990Bourg St.-Maurice3rdC1
1991[20]July 7, 1991Augsburg1stC1
1993[21]August 1, 1993Augsburg1stC1
August 31, 1993Ocoee1stC1
1994[22]July 10, 1994Bourg St.-Maurice3rdC1
1996[23]September 29, 1996Três Coroas3rdC1
1997[24]June 22, 1997Bourg St.-Maurice2ndC1
July 28, 1997Ocoee3rdC1
August 3, 1997Minden3rdC1

References

  1. 1 2 "Davey Hearn". Olympedia. Archived from the original on November 8, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ Kantor, Jaqueline (July 3, 2014). "Great Falls: A breeding ground for top-level competitive kayakers on the Potomac River". The Washington Post. ProQuest 1542601153. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kamber, Raymond, ed. (February 2008). "Canoe ICF Medal Winners" (PDF). International Canoe Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Angus (January 23, 1996). "World Champion Canoeist Has Row With Police". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 307917744. Archived from the original on August 20, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Lynch, David J. (June 20, 2026). "Cyclist arrested at Reflecting Pool is former Olympian who denies vandalism claims". The Washington Post. ProQuest 3354408550. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ Mooar, Brian (September 9, 1996). "Olympic Canoeist Helps Police Rescue Fishermen". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 307970279. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Olympic canoeist David 'Davey' Hearn charged in Reflecting Pool vandalism". NBC News. July 2, 2026. Archived from the original on July 2, 2026. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  8. ↑ Golden, Jasmine; Nehme, Maia; Rizzo, Salvador (July 9, 2026). "Ex-Olympian accused of Reflecting Pool vandalism pleads not guilty". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  9. ↑ Diaz, Jaclyn (July 9, 2026). "Former Olympian pleads not guilty in reflecting pool vandalism charge". NPR. Archived from the original on July 9, 2026. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Government's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment" (PDF). July 31, 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026 – via DocumentCloud.
  11. ↑ Rubin, Madaleine; Fahrenthold, David (July 31, 2026). "Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn Accused of Damaging Reflecting Pool". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Williams, Clarence (August 14, 2026). "David Hearn's Lawyers Ask Court to Bar Future Reflecting Pool Charges". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  13. ↑ "David Hearn". DaveyHearn.com. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  14. ↑ "New World Cup Series or The World Ranking List - Richard Takes the Lead!" (PDF). Canoe Slalom Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 3. August 1988. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  15. ↑ Lyons, Joe (September 1988). "Europa Cup 88" (PDF). Canoe Slalom Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 4. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  16. ↑ "The 1988 World Cup Results" (PDF). Canoe-Kayak '89. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 14, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Official results - World Cup Race in Mezzana 1989" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Official results - World Cup Final 1989" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  19. ↑ "1990 World Cup Final Rankings" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 18, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Official results - World Cup Race 2 1991" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  21. ↑ "1993 World Cup Final Rankings" (PDF). Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Official results - World Cup Race 3 1994" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Official results - World Cup Final 1996" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  24. ↑ "1997 World Cup Results". Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
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