New Zealand will send its largest-ever women's canoe sprint team to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, led by our most successful Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington.
Dame Lisa will be joined by Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan, Olivia Brett, Aimee Fisher, Lucy Matehaere, with the group competing across the K1, K2 and K4 events at the Games.
Dame Lisa will lead the charge and contest all three disciplines.
The six-time Olympic medalist will be joined by Gisborne's Hoskin in the K2, as the duo look to defend the gold medal won by Dame Lisa and Caitlin Regal at the Tokyo Games.
Dame Lisa and Hoskin will also team up with Games debutants Vaughan and Brett in the K4. The quartet go into the Games as World Champions, having last year won New Zealand's first world title in the big boat.
Rio 2016 Olympian Fisher also makes her Olympic return. She'll contest the K1 500m, as well as the K2 500 where she'll be joined in the boat by the bolter of the squad Dunedin's Matehaere.
Paris 2024 will be Dame Lisa's fourth Olympic Games and she says it is "such a privilege" to be named on a New Zealand Olympic team.
"For me, every Olympics is about learning, growing, seeing how fast I can go, and also about the amazing people and athletes that I get to paddle with," said Dame Lisa.
"I'm really excited to go to another Olympic Games, this is a great team and I'm looking forward to the competition."
Debutant Vaughan says that being selected for the Olympic team is a very special moment in her paddling career.
"As a team, we talk about building the mana of the black boat, which includes our family, friends and supporters, and I'm really lucky to have the opportunity to do that," said Vaughan.
It is the first time New Zealand has ever qualified and named six female canoe sprint athletes for an Olympic Games.
Canoe Racing New Zealand General Manager of Performance, Nathan Luce, says it took a lot of work and effort to get six athletes on the team.
"It's been a full team effort, from coaches, athletes, support staff and athletes who were trialling and didn't make the end squad," said Luce.
"It's been a three-year process and to see it produce six spots for the Games is special and we're excited to see what we can do in Paris."
NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol also extended her congratulations to the athletes.
"Well done to all the athletes named today. This team is a great mix of experienced campaigners and Games debutants and we're looking forward to seeing them wear the fern and represent New Zealand on the world's biggest sporting stage."
The Olympic canoe sprint events begin in Paris on August 6 and run until August 10 at the new architecturally designed Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, the first water complex of its kind in Europe.
