It was billed as a showdown for the ages - and in the end, Dame Lisa Carrington proved once again why she's the greatest.
The Olympic legend beat Aimee Fisher by half a boat length in race three of their showdown to secure the only New Zealand spot in the women's K1 500 at this year's world championships.
But with such depth and strength in the class, could the rivalry, in fact, turn into a new team?
All eyes were on two people at Lake Karapiro. A crowd, similar to that of a global event, gathered for round three of Lisa Carrington v Aimee Fisher.
The pair were neck and neck for much of the race, before a late bobble in what were bouncy and inconsistent conditions potentially cost Fisher.
Carrington pounced, pulling away, reminding everyone just why she's the GOAT in a boat.
"We had to both bring our A-game with what we had," Carrington said.
And Carrington did. But even after all of these years, multiple world championships and five Olympic golds, she felt the pressure.
"[I was] pretty nervous, absolutely," Carrington said. "I think it was just about trying to go in and focus on my own performance."
The old mates, and rivals, came together afterwards in recognition of their clash.
"I think it was just this moment of respect and acknowledgement of bringing out the best in each other," Fisher told Newshub. "Making each other faster, and I'm here for it any time."
The contest can only be seen as positive for the sport in New Zealand. But with such a close, competitive margin, the question remains - could they team up together?
"For sure," says Carrington's coach Gordon Walker. "They've paddled together before, they're both formidable team boat paddlers - let alone together."
And while open to the idea, Fisher knows exactly where her short term future lies.
"I think that could be on the cards," Fisher says of returning to a team.
"For now, I'm all in [on] K1. I want to see how fast I can make one of those boats go.
"I've got some pretty big goals, ambitious goals in that space. I want to keep pushing that along.
"As I'm doing that, we'll figure out what some of those options can look like."
That issue is complicated, though, by Fisher not being part of Canoe Racing New Zealand's high performance programme. The 27-year-old withdrew almost two years ago over athlete welfare concerns.
Carrington will compete in potentially several boats at the worlds, while Fisher accepts her time is still to come.
"Buckle in people," she added. "I'd say we've got another few years of this. It's gonna be good."
If the last few days are anything to go by, it certainly is.
