Dame Lisa Carrington has added an eighth medal to her Olympic collection after a scorching win in the women’s K2 500m with Alicia Hoskin, who joins an elite group of athletes to win two gold medals at one Games.
Choppy conditions were no issue for the Kiwi team romping home in one minute and 37 seconds, well ahead of the pack. The favourites for the final rocketed out to first and held it comfortably from start to finish, finishing a boat length ahead.
In a fierce fight for second, Hungary won silver with Germany and a second Hungarian crew sharing bronze.
Hoskin was full of praise for their rival boats. “These girls are of such high calibre. We have a lot of respect for the girls that we’re racing.”
After claiming her second Gold Medal in two days, Hoskin said she had been loving the paddling. ” “I’m loving the paddling, I’m loving the racing with these girls, and just showing the work our coaches and our teams have put in leading up to this.”
It marks Dame Lisa’s seventh Olympic gold medal, and eighth overall.
She said the win came as a bit of a surprise.
“[It] will probably take a little bit to sink in, but it’s the paddling I love, and I love this team. Nothing could ever beat that feeling.”
The NZ men’s K2 500 crew of Kurtis Imrie and Hamish Legarth finished sixth in their B Final .
The final day of Canoe Sprint racing will be held on Saturday night (NZT) and will see Lisa Carrington and Aimee Fisher back on the water in what is sure to be some unforgettable K1 racing.
