Kayaking superstar lends her talent to Poverty Bay four

K1 DOUBLE: Genna Robertson on her way to one of her two under-14 girls’ K1 victories at the Blue Lakes 2 regatta. Pictures by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

IF you are going to “borrow” another kayaker to make up your K4 crew, you want them to be a good one.

In Poverty Bay’s case, a great one.

Reigning world and Olympic K1 200 metres champion Lisa Carrington lent her prodigious talent to the PB Kayaking Club’s open women’s K4 500m crew at the Blue Lakes 2 canoe racing regatta in Rotorua last weekend.

It was perhaps no surprise that they won.

Carrington, a winner of seven world titles and two Olympic crowns, combined with Kim Thompson, Britney Ford and Courtney Hoskin to win the K4 500 straight final — finishing over four seconds clear of the next crew.

Carrington replaced the absent Jamie Gedye for the Sunday race, having earlier teamed with Caitlyn Ryan to win the K2 500 and 200 finals, with Thompson and Ford second.

Gedye was there the day before and took her place alongside Thompson, Ford and Hoskin to win the K4 200.

Once again the Poverty Bay club showed its depth with results across most age groups — a performance coach and 1984 Olympic Games kayaker Liz Thompson described as “fantastic”.

“ The younger/newer members have some great role models, both among the more senior paddlers and the young paddlers who have a few seasons of experience behind them.

“There was a really positive and happy feeling around the club tent. There were some very determined performances by competitors at all levels, and we are seeing improvements in confidence.”

Thirty PB club members, including 10 in their first season of paddling, competed at the regatta.

“The new ones certainly had some quality role models, with the club’s senior paddlers putting in some great performances,” said coach Thompson.

Quaid Thompson thirdIn the open men’s division, Quaid Thompson was third in the K1 1000 and paired with Zac Ferkins to place third in the K2 200.

Sam Ferkins stepped up to the under-18 division to place second in the K1 200. He and Ben Bristow were second in the K2 200 and third in the K2 1000. They combined with Jordan Mclarin and Sam Blackburne to win the K4 200 and 500.

Mclarin won the K1 1000, with Ferkins third.

Neo Stuart was a stand-out in the u14 age group. He won the K1 200 and 500 and was second with Ollie Scammell in the K2.200.

Scammell was third in the tyros (u13) K1 100.

Alicia Hoskin had a great weekend in the u18 women’s age group. She won the K1 200 and 500, while Alex Bermingham was third in the 500.

Hoskin and Bermingham joined forces to win the K2 200, and were second in the K4 200 with Jordan Robertson and Brooke Gedye.

The u16 girls put in some good performances in finals but finished out of the medals.

The u14 girls division featured the biggest fields of the regatta, including 10 paddlers from Poverty Bay alone.

Genna Robertson won both K1 distances, and was joined on the podium by Lucy McLaughlin who was third in the 500. These two won the K2 500, and Robertson combined with Emma Brownlie to win the K2 200.

Robertson, McLaughlin, Manon Rogers and Sabine Lapointe were third in the K4 200. Robertson, McLaughlin, Rogers and Grace Roddick were the K4 500.

In the tyros girls, Sabine Lapointe and Roddick Roddick were third in the K2 200. Alongside Scammell and Rogers, they were second in the tyros mixed K4 200.