Dame Lisa Carrington announces pregnancy; confirms Los Angeles Olympics are still her target

Dame Lisa Carrington celebrates her eighth Olympic gold medal. Photo / Photosport

Dame Lisa Carrington is entering a new chapter.

New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian has announced she and her husband, Michael Buck, are expecting their first child together.

In a post on social media, Carrington confirmed that the baby was due in late September.

“This is some of the greatest news I’ve ever shared … Bucky and I are expecting!” Carrington wrote.

“We are so ready for this next chapter and couldn’t be more excited to begin our journey into parenthood.”

The 36-year-old also answered a few questions she was likely to face.

Carrington said she would not be finding out the sex of the baby, the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 remain her competitive goal, and she still planned to race in the World Cups in Europe in May but would not be racing at the 2026 World Champs or for the rest of the year.

“Pregnancy so far has been a real learning curve - but feeling very lucky and very excited for what’s to come.”

Carrington swept her three events at the Paris Olympics in 2024, bringing her gold medal count to eight, with wins in the K-1 500m, K-2 500m and K-4 500m. Overall, Carrington is a nine-time Olympic medallist, with a bronze in the K-1 500m in Rio in 2016.

In 2024, Carrington achieved a career-first with gold in the K-4 500m alongside Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan. The gold was Carrington’s first Olympic medal in the discipline.

Carrington made her Olympic debut back in London in 2012, claiming gold in the K-1 200m. She followed that up with gold in the same event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, as well as a bronze in the K-1 500m.

In Tokyo, she claimed three golds – winning the K-1 200m, K-1 500m and K-2 500m, paddling with Caitlin Regal in the latter.

While the K-1 200m was not contested in Paris, Carrington still came away with three golds: the K-1 500m, K-2 500m with Alicia Hoskin, and the K-4 500m.