“I can’t believe it,” the 34-year-old told the onsite interviewer. “It’s super special and to do it with these girls, we have worked really hard and so we are just so proud. I’m so proud of them.”
New Zealand has had some impressive results in the past – with a silver medal in 2018 and bronze in 2017 – but the top of the podium had always been the preserve of the heavyweight nations like Hungary, Germany and Poland, who have so much more depth.
It’s also a new Kiwi crew, with Tara Vaughan (19) and Olivia Brett (22) only racing at this level for the first time last year, while Alicia Hoskin (23) was a rookie at the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s amazing,” reflected Carrington. “It’s amazing what teamwork can do.”
They showed their potential with a fifth place last year and have invested heavily since then, training six days a week at Auckland’s Lake Pupuke. The result seals Olympic passage, meaning New Zealand remains on track to send a record six female athletes to the Paris Games, should they also qualify boats in the K1 and K2 classes.
“I don’t think it has quite sunk in,” Canoe Racing New Zealand high performance boss Nathan Luce told the Herald. “They came in with high expectations and knew they were going well at training camp, but you don’t get too excited about training pieces. The pressure on the day also affects people.
“This is a big historic day for us. To not only qualify, but then to win in an Olympic qualifying year is the hardest job to do other than winning at the Olympics.”
Luce paid tribute to the work of the coaches, led by Gordon Walker and the off-water team. Carrington’s role was enormous - “she was fully invested in it, knowing there were going to be some growing pains”, along with the ability of the young trio to find personal improvement.
It was also reward for a strategic play from CRNZ, who elected to take Carrington and Hoskin out of the K2 event so they could focus fully on the bigger boat.
“It was a bold move but paid off,” said Luce.
It was an eventful day in Germany as storms and lightning strikes led to a three-hour delay. The New Zealand quartet took out their semifinal before their commanding performance in the final, as they led from start to finish, crossing the line in 1.30.606, with Poland in 1.31.320 while Spain claimed bronze (1.31.955).
“They shot out of the gate, had a little bit of a lead and never relinquished the lead,” said Luce. “We thought the Polish might close in but they just kept pulling away.”
However, the New Zealand men’s crew fell just short in their attempt to be the first men’s four to qualify since the 1992 Olympics. Drawn in the quickest semifinal, Max Brown, Zach Ferkins, Kurtis Imrie and Hamish Legarth finished fourth, with only the top three progressing to the nine-boat A final. Their time of 1.19.864 was the sixth-fastest recorded across the semifinals, though that was scant consolation.
“Sport can be cruel - it was bittersweet for them,” said Luce. “But they are young guys and that will make them hungry for more.”
Scott Martlew finished fourth in the KL2 200m A final to qualify the boat for Paris, while Corbin Hart managed ninth in the KL3 200m A final. Ashton Reiser managed 11th overall in the K1 500m.
Carrington will compete in the K1 500m final tonight (10.21pm), with the scratch K2 500m crew of Aimee Fisher and Danielle McKenzie looking to progress to the final in their event.
