Unstoppable Carrington Defends K1 Women’s 500m World Title

In an unmatched performance, Dame Lisa Carrington stormed ahead of the pack to win the women’s K4 500m World Title. The defending champion raced to her fourth world championship gold in the class.

Taking the lead from the start in signature Carrington style, she then stamped her mark on the race by crossing the 500m finish line a full boat length ahead of her closest competitor, Denmarks’ Emma Jorgensen. Hungary’s Tamara Csipes took out bronze.

Carrington’s blistering time of 1:47:769, seconds faster than her Olympic gold time of 1:51:21, shows there is no sign of New Zealand’s most successful Olympian slowing down anytime soon.

“I was really stoked with yesterday with the K4, and awesome to be able to turn up again today and be able to race like that, especially against some incredibly tough competition” says Carrington.

The victory means a New Zealander has held this title for 3 consecutive years, with Aimee Fisher taking the win in 2021. The two women raced off in a best of three race selection for NZ’s one spot at this year’s event in April.

As Carrington secured an Olympic quota spot in the New Zealand women’s K4 500m historic win on Friday, she will compete in the K1 500m event at the Paris Olympics in less than a year’s time.

After only a few hours off the water Lisa Carrington returned in the Women’s K1 200m semi final. Carrington won her semi final in 38.898, the fastest time across the three. The Women’s K1 200m A finals tonight at 9.28pm NZT.

Aimee Fisher and Danielle McKenzie raced competitively for only the second time ever as a duo in the women’s K2 500m semi final. Their compelling third place semi final finish secured them a spot in tonight's A Final at 10.08pm.

Fisher and Danielle will have a chance to qualify a K2 Women’s Olympic quota spot, which would secure the full 6 female athlete Paris 2024 quota spots for New Zealand. A top 6 finish in the final will achieve this. Alternatively there is another opportunity to qualify at the Oceania Championships in March.

In the Para canoe Va’a division, Peter Cowan’s strong second place VL3 200m semi final finish see’s him advance to the A final. Cowan will be looking for his first world championship medal as well as lock in a Paralympic boat quota spot.

Scott Martlew placed 7th in his VL3 200m semi final, wrapping up a busy regatta campaign. Martlew came so close to a medal with fourth place in the KL2 200m yesterday, but he’ll be happy to have secured a Paralympic boat quota spot for New Zealand.

Ashton Reiser and Quaid Thompson both won their respective C Final races in the Men’s K1 200m and Men’s K1 1000m. A great finish to a strong campaign from the New Zealand men’s kayak team.

Tonight is the final day of the ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships. The big question of the final day is can the New Zealand women’s kayak team secure the full 6 Olympic quota spots.

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