Kayaking: Kayakers build on momentum

The K4 500m team of (from left) Kayla Imrie, Caitlin Ryan, Aimee Fisher and Jaimee Lovett have been together for only two months. Photo / Nick Reed

Where Lisa Carrington leads, New Zealand's kayak bosses hope a young women's quartet can follow this year.

Olympic and multiple world champion Carrington spearheads a New Zealand squad of seven heading for Europe this weekend, but there is special interest in how a K4 500m crew performs over the first two of three World Cup regattas in Portugal and Germany.

The quartet of Jaimee Lovett (Bay of Plenty), Caitlin Ryan (Auckland), Aimee Fisher (Hawkes Bay) and Kayla Imrie (Wellington) have been together just two months.

New Zealand finished 14th overall at last year's worlds in Moscow. Early signs are encouraging as they head towards Olympic qualifying, which comes at the world champs in Milan in August.

The crew is changed in one seat from last year, with world K1 1000m champion Teneale Hatton opting out of the international programme this year, and Imrie taking her place.

"The result last year wasn't a true reflection of what we could achieve," Lovett said yesterday.

The crew found they were battling to stay on the pace through the middle stages last season, despite starting and finishing well. So more emphasis has gone on strength in training under former Danish international paddler Rene Olsen.

Lovett says what could be termed the Carrington effect has had an impact on, particularly, up-and-coming female paddling numbers.

"It's grown tenfold, especially in females across all age groups, and it's been awesome to see under-23 girls coming through in the last couple of years."

Canoe Racing New Zealand investment in the quartet had helped motivate the women, Lovett added.

Olsen likes what he's seeing but insists this is no quick fix for the four.

"We are tracking pretty well," Olsen said. "My philosophy is we are building bricks for the house and we are not so much looking for the finished house at these World Cups."

So as long as he sees the group heading in the right direction in Europe he'll be happy.

"The biggest step we have been making is in strength, so we have the power. We just need more training at race pace but we are building our confidence out of the power we have to deliver."

The women, and K1 200m sprinter Scott Bicknell head to Portugal and the first World Cup this weekend while Carrington and K1 1000m paddler Marty McDowell fly to Munich for a week's training en route to Portugal. The regatta starts May 15.

The 2015 kayak team
• New Zealand's kayak team will contest three World Cup regattas, including Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal (May 15-17), Duisburg, Germany (May 22-24) and Copenhagen (May 29-31)

• The New Zealand team comprises Olympic and world champion Lisa Carrington (K1 200m and K1 500m), Jaimee Lovett, Caitlin Ryan, Aimee Fisher and Kayla Imrie (K4 500m), Marty McDowell (K1 1000m) and Scott Bicknell (K1 200m).

• The world championships, which are this year's qualifying event for the Rio Olympics next year, are in Milan on August 19-23.