Newly appointed Dame Lisa Carrington opens up to NZ Herald Focus' Cheree Kinnear on a hectic 2021, reconnecting with family after Tokyo plus what's ahead for her as she commits for another Olympic cycle. Video / Andrew Warner / Photosport
Whatever happens over the rest of her kayaking career, promising New Zealand paddler Tara Vaughan will own a record that even Dame Lisa Carrington can’t match.
That is saying something, given Carrington is already recognised as this country’s greatest Olympic athlete, with five gold medals, andis arguably the best female kayaker the world has seen.
But in Germany 11 days ago, Vaughan grabbed a slice of history as part of the women’s K4 500m crew, alongside Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Olivia Brett, who took out the world championship title.
It was a remarkable effort. They were the first Kiwi quartet to claim gold at that level, while the 20-year-old Vaughan became the youngest New Zealander to top the podium at a world championship.
Younger than Paul MacDonald in the 1980s, younger than Ben Fouhy in 2003 or Teneale Hatton in 2013 and, yes, younger than Carrington, who was 22 when she claimed her first K1 200m gold in 2011.
It’s only a statistical quirk and Vaughan was in a team boat but it neatly encapsulates the rapid progress of the female kayaking programme in this country over the last decade, driven by the superlative exploits of Carrington. Twelve years ago, Carrington, from Ōhope, was the first Kiwi woman to claim a medal at the world championships; since then seven female compatriots have reached the podium.
Tara Vaughan, far left, in the New Zealand K4 500m crew that won gold at the world championships in Germany last month. Photo / CRNZ
Vaughan, who took up the sport only four years ago, illustrates the rise.
After impressing at the national level, she was put into a scratch K4 crew last year. But she had limited experience with team boats and admits she was a bit “scared” of Carrington, who felt like a mythical figure, given her achievements.
”When I first paddled with her last year I barely talked to her,” Vaughan tells the Herald. “I was scared of her because I looked up to her so much. And now, wow, we are so lucky to have her in our boat and to learn from her.
“She is so good at sharing and it is just crazy listening to all her stories. And then she still wants to paddle with us in the K4, it’s pretty special. It still blows my mind every day.”
Vaughan is the youngest of a precocious trio, with Hoskin (23) and Brett (22). The rookie had an inauspicious start in her first senior trial last year.
”I had barely talked to any of them before and we finished the race and were talking about how it went,” says Vaughan. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was the best race ever, that was so good’ and they were all standing there laughing at me. It wasn’t very good.
“We had a long way to go, a lot to learn. [Coach] Gordon [Walker] was so good at helping us get better and believing in us but it’s crazy how far we have come.”
Wellington-born Vaughan, who moved to Auckland when she was 4, had a surf life-saving background before she took up kayaking at 16. She was aware of Carrington – “I’m from surf clubs so people talk about her” – but didn’t know too much about the sport.
But she made quick progress, selected for the national under-18 team, though Covid stymied events. However, her potential had been noticed, which led to the K4 trial.
The quartet had some promising results, finishing fifth at the 2022 World Championships in Canada, after winning their heat. They then claimed bronze at a World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland, in May, before last week’s unforgettable race in Duisburg, Germany, when they flashed down the course in 1:30.606.
”It was crazy,” says Vaughan. “I am so grateful for the opportunity and the girls did so well. When the coaches mentioned 12 months ago that we could try and win, I didn’t believe them. I don’t think any of us did. So to do it was amazing.”
Vaughan doesn’t have too many memories of the race, which was a classic. It was a blanket start, with New Zealand edging to a narrow lead by the 250m mark, before they pulled away in the second half, holding off strong challenges from favourites Poland, along with Spain, China and Australia.
”It is mostly just a blur,” says Vaughan. “I had no idea where we were during the race, though you could feel the girls lift towards the end. I just knew the process that we had talked about and the steps we had to take. When I looked across the line it was a pretty cool moment.”
Tara Vaughan during an early morning training session at Lake Pupuke in Takapuna in June. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The build-up – in Italy, then France – had been solid before culminating in Germany.
New Zealand became just the fifth nation to win the K4 event since 1991, alongside Hungary (13 times), Germany (eight), Belarus (two) and Poland (one). For perspective, Spain, with huge numbers of paddlers and clubs, have been on the podium seven times, without claiming the gold. The achievement is magnified in a pre-Olympics year, traditionally the most competitive world championships within a cycle.
Carrington has been a huge influence, on and off the water. The 34-year-old provided the horsepower at the front of the boat, setting the pace that the rest could follow. She carries great mana and sets high standards but also has a knack for getting the best out of teammates, by making them feel at ease.
”She is just so calm and consistent in her approach,” says Vaughan. “She is so good at doing everything right on and off the water and putting the team first. She is disciplined but she still has fun; we still have fun. That ability is pretty special and it is cool that she wants to give back and help.”
The crew took part in an Olympics test event in Paris last week and Vaughan can now contemplate a trip to the 2024 Games, even though nothing is assured until after selection trials next year.
”That seems crazy that that could even be a possibility,” she says. “There are still a lot of things to happen between now and then, we just have to keep working hard. It was a big deal just coming to the world championships and that would be an even bigger deal.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
