Kayaking: Olympic stars rise at NZ champs

Olympic kayakers Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones comfortably won back their national canoe slalom titles at the New Zealand championships in Kawerau over the weekend.

After missing the national championships last year to focus on their London Olympic Games build-up, the pair joined a strong field of national and international paddlers on the purpose-built course on the Tarawera River.

Jones clocked 103.90secs in her first run without any penalties to finish 10.47secs clear of her nearest challenger, young Wanaka schoolgirl Jess Bailey, with the experienced Louise Jull third in 116.64.

Young Australian Kate Eckhardt, part of an 18-strong contingent from the Australian national talent squad, had the second-fastest time with a 110.97 and Martina Wegman (Netherlands) was third in 111.85, though neither qualified for the New Zealand title.

Jones, who has indulged a number of other sporting passions this summer, nevertheless wrapped up her fifth national title with ease on Sunday.

"It was really good to have a bit of racing on a proper course - this is only my second race of the year after Oceanias so it was good to see where I was at and see how I could put a run together," she said.

"It went a lot better than I expected to so that's a good confidence builder before I head overseas."

Dawson's second run of 90.69 was just behind Australian Lucien Delfour, who clocked 89.29 in an impressive first run, but the 26-year-old Kiwi was delighted with his performance in his first race since breaking his back in an extreme kayaking event in Chile in November.

Tauranga 17-year-old Callum Gilbert was the second New Zealander home in 97.63, while 20-year-old Callum Gibb was third in 98.39.

"I was pretty nervous lining up with only three weeks' training under my belt, especially with a new wave of fast young talent coming through," Dawson said.

"These young guys are really laying down some fast times but luckily I did enough to get it done today."

It wasn't just the young guns getting in on the act.

New Zealand's first-ever canoe slalom Olympian Donald Johnstone - who competed in the 1992 Games in Barcelona - finished 10th overall in 104.02. He turns 50 this year.

Gibb was the first New Zealander home in the C1, meanwhile, clocking 101.35 and finishing just behind Czech paddler Pavel Foukel.

Shaun Higgins was second Kiwi in 106.25, Brent Bastin third and Gilbert capped a big week with a fourth-placed finish.

The Tauranga Boys' College student won the under-18 title at the New Zealand secondary schools titles earlier in the week at the same venue.