Canoe queen Dame Lisa Carrington has been awarded the prestigious Lonsdale Cup, after her staggering medal haul at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
The Cup is presented annually by the New Zealand Olympic Committee to the athlete or team that has made the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth Sport.
In Japan, Dame Lisa claimed three gold medals, taking her Olympic medal total to six - made up of five gold and one bronze - and cementing her standing as New Zealand's most successful Olympian.
"It is a real privilege and honour to receive the Lonsdale Cup," says Dame Lisa, who also won the award in 2016 and 2017.
"I'm thrilled with what we managed to achieve last year and would like to thank everyone who was involved in our campaign.
"I feel very lucky to be a professional athlete and I can't wait to get back out there and keep wearing the fern and representing New Zealand."
Carrington made her Olympic debut at London 2012, where she claimed gold in the K1 200. Four years later she defended her gold medal, and won bronze in the K1 500.
At the Tokyo Games, she overcame a gruelling schedule of 12 races in six days to win her third consecutive K1 200m gold medal, before adding two more in the K1 500 and K2 500.
On the World Championship stage, Dame Lisa has won a staggering golds among an overall total of 17 medals.
She is a four-time winner of the Sportswoman of the Year award at the Halberg Awards and was last year named Halberg Sportswoman of the Decade.
Past winners of the Lonsdale Cup include Dame Valerie Adams, Sir John Walker, Barbara Kendall, and Sir Peter Snell.
"Dame Lisa’s achievements in Tokyo are nothing short of remarkable," says NZOC president Mike Stanley.
"The drive, determination and grit that went into that campaign is huge and inspired New Zealanders up and down the country."
Carrington was recognised for her achievements in the 2021 New Year Honours List, when she was named a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to canoe racing.
