Kayaking: Emerging K1 star Carrington shines

Lisa Carrington. Photo / Janna Dixon

Crack women's paddler Lisa Carrington - quickly becoming a world force and New Zealand's best hope of a canoeing medal at the London Olympics - won her heat and semifinal in the women's K1 200m event at the world championships in Hungary last night.

The 200m distance is a new one and Carrington has taken to it like a duck to water - winning the latest World Cup event at the distance.

She won her heat and semifinal and will race in the final late tonight.

Carrington and partner Erin Taylor were due to race overnight in the final of the women's K2 500m event - after the duo finished second in their heat in the K2 500m.

They then third in the semifinal to qualify for the final and a shot at a top six finish for Olympic qualification.

Former 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallist Ben Fouhy finished a disappointing ninth in the K1 1000 final. The top seven finishers earned automatic qualification for next year's London Olympics, although Fouhy still has a chance to make the Games through other qualifying regatta next year.

A lack of racing may have restricted Fouhy's performance, although he showed out well in the semifinals, finishing second in a sharp 3m 29.010s. Fouhy earlier won his heat in 3m 36.960s, while his ninth place in the final stopped the clock at 3m 48.182s.

The men's K4 1000m team of Scott Bicknell, Troy Burbidge, Liam O'Loughlin and Fred Teear finished fourth in their heat, then seventh in the semifinal. Teneale Hatton finished fourth in her women's K1 500m heat, and was sixth in the semifinal, but did not make the final.

Steven Ferguson and Darryl Fitzgerald won the K2 1000m B final in 3m 21.211s, two seconds clear of second-placed Slovenians Lovro Leban and Rok Kuk. They too will have to qualify for the Olympics at other regattas.

- Agencies