Dame Lisa Carrington to the rescue for World Champs
Iain McGregor / www.photosport.nz
New Zealand kayak legend Dame Lisa Carrington will race internationally this year.
Earlier this year Dame Lisa confirmed that she would
skip the 2025 international season
to prepare herself for an attempt to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
However the eight-time Olympic champion will return to international competition at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan, Italy later this month.
With only 18 days to go until the flagship event begins, Dame Lisa will replace fellow Paris 2024 gold medallist Olivia Brett in the women's kayak four, after the latter sustained an injury in training.
Dame Lisa did not race the first two World Cups of the season in Szeged and Poznan.
The 36-year-old has already joined the team in Italy.
"This is a really tough situation for Olivia, and our thoughts are with her as she begins her recovery," said Canoe Racing New Zealand's general manager of performance Nathan Luce.
"We're fortunate to have someone of Lisa's calibre available to step in. While she hasn't competed internationally this year, she's maintained full-time training and is in race-ready form."
The new K4 team for New Zealand will feature Dame Lisa, Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan, and Lucy Matehaere, as they aim to clinch gold at the Idroscalo Regatta Course.
Dame Lisa led Brett, Hoskin, and Vaughan to the gold medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the K4 500m.
The victory saw her equal the record title tally of Germany's Birgit Fischer, which had stood for 20 years.
The K4 500m title in Paris was New Zealand's first, ending a 40-year domination by Germany and Hungary in the event at the Games.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter
curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
9 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Former All Black George Bridge signs with Force
George Bridge scores the first of his four tries Photo: Photosport The Western Force have secured the signing of former All Black George Bridge for the next two Super Rugby Pacific seasons. The 30-year-old has spent the past three seasons with Montpellier in France's Top 14 where he also played in the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. He was part of New Zealand's 2019 World Cup squad, is a four-time Super Rugby champion and two-time Super Rugby Aotearoa winner from his six-year stint with the Crusaders. During the 2019 World Cup, Bridge started four of the All Blacks' games, scoring in the pool stage win over South Africa and the quarter-final victory over Ireland. Photo: Photosport He has scored 12 tries from his 19 test appearances. Bridge has played 82 Super Rugby games and scored 37 tries during his time with the Crusaders from 2017 to 2022 and then clocked up 48 caps and 11 tries for Montpellier. Bridge said the Force are a franchise which is heading in the right direction. "I'm keen to take on the new challenge and contribute to the club's success. I've always loved my time in Perth, and with friends and good connections among the staff and players, it felt like the right fit." Force head coach Simon Cron said Bridge brings professionalism, versatility and a high rugby IQ. "He's got a massive left foot kick. He can play multiple positions. He's a brilliant player. An amazing talent. He will add to the guys that we have in the squad. We know when we have injuries, it's important we have depth so we can progress deep into Super Rugby finals. "I know a few New Zealand franchises were chasing him hard, but he wanted to join the Force. He'll add a lot to our environment." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Rugby: Former roofer Kyle Preston caps off meteoric rise with All Blacks call-up
Kyle Preston scores a try on debut for the Crusaders against the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby season-season opening match at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, 14 Feb 2025. Photo: Photosport Kyle Preston's inclusion in the All Blacks Rugby Championship squad has capped a meteoric rise for the Crusaders halfback who has no fear of scaling great heights. The 25-year-old is a roofer by trade and only stopped last year to give his dream of becoming a professional rugby player a real crack. Crusaders Kyle Preston during Super Rugby Pacific. Photo: Brett Phibbs / The Tawa College product made his NPC debut for Wellington in 2023 before picking up his first Super Rugby gig with the Crusaders this year. Following a breakout year with the Super Rugby champions, he could possibly play his first test after being named in the All Blacks squad as injury cover. "It's funny," Preston said. "You don't really expect it (All Blacks call-up), but it's in the back of your mind if you're playing well. You hope to maybe see your name." There's no doubt his form for the Crusaders is what got Preston selected, but for the Wellingtonian, the move to Christchurch wasn't necessarily natural. "It was a massive call for me. I've never lived out of Wellington," Preston said. "So to make the move down to Christchurch was a pretty big decision. Obviously I'm super glad that I made the move. It was good to just get out the comfort zone and be in a new environment, a new city. "I really enjoyed it down there." Preston believes playing in a title-winning team and behind a strong Crusaders forward pack helped his All Blacks cause. "For sure. There's rich history in that club and a lot of good players down there. So to be able to get a chance to play for them helps with the exposure. I was probably getting a few more minutes than I would have if I stayed up here (Wellington)." Kyle Preston playing for Wellington. Photo: Preston, who has signed with the Crusaders to the end of the 2027 season, has a strong kicking game and he believes that is one of his points of difference. "I kick off both feet and I think on the field it helps relieve a little bit of pressure through games. So, yeah, I guess that's an asset for me." Another asset is his fitness. During pre-season, he set a Crusaders bronco record (a fitness test measuring endurance and speed) of 4 minutes and 13 seconds. "I definitely do a little bit better in fitness test than some others. But rugby is completely different, fitness wise, than just running. So that's not all I'm going to be able to rely on." His background as a roofer helped him develop a strong work ethic and the importance of keeping his body in shape. "It's a cool trade," Preston said. "I'm a man who likes to be up on the roof and and doing things actively. It is pretty tough on the body, though. Trying to juggle rugby and roofing was a bit tough." Though it's a trade he'd be happy to go back to when he's done with rugby. "Thankfully I was able to finish my apprenticeship at the start of last year before it all kind of kicked off (his professional rugby career) So I'll keep that in the back pocket for after the career." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Sports Chat for 5 August 2025
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Nathan Rarere. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
