Olympics 2024: New Zealand women’s K4 team win historic gold after 40 years

The New Zealand women’s K4 team won a magnificent gold medal in Paris after a spectacular race overnight. Meet the members of the team who brought home New Zealand’s first K4 medal in 40 years.

Alicia Hoskin

Gisborne’s Alicia Hoskin makes her second Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Games. She first showcased her talent at the Aims Games, where she went on to win the multisport title — kayaking, mountain biking and running.

Olivia Brett, Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Tara Vaughan win gold for New Zealand in the women’s K4 500. Photo / www.photosport.nz

She joined Dame Lisa Carrington, Tara Vaughan, and Olivia Brett in the women’s K4, entering the Games as world champions after securing New Zealand’s first world title in the big boat category last year. Hoskin also teams up with Carrington in the women’s K2, aiming to defend the gold medal won by Carrington and Caitlin Regal at Tokyo in 2021. The semifinal kicks off tonight at 8.50pm.

Olivia Brett

Olivia Brett, of Christchurch and now residing in Auckland, makes her Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games. Racing with the team since 2021, Brett has already achieved notable international success, including a gold medal at the 2023 world championships and two podium finishes in world cup events. Passionate about special education and raising awareness of neurodivergent minds, Brett enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Tara Vaughan

Tara Vaughan also makes her Olympic debut in Paris. Coached by Gordan Walker and Chris Mehak, the team made history by winning the 2023 world championships, the first New Zealand team to do so. Vaughan, born in Wellington and raised in Auckland’s North Shore, still considers it her home.

Dame Lisa Carrington

New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington, has amassed 11 Olympic medals, including eight golds and three bronze, since London 2012.

Her professional journey began in 2009 with a bronze at the world cup regatta in Hungary. In 2010, she and Teneale Hatton won gold in the K2 1000 at a world cup regatta in France.

Carrington’s breakthrough came in 2011 when she became the first New Zealand woman to win a canoeing world title, taking gold in the K1 200. She continued to dominate, winning gold in the K1 200 at the 2012 London Olympics, the K1 200 at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and bronze in the K1 500 that year.

At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, she defended her K1 200 and K1 500 titles and won gold in the K2 500 with Caitlin Regal. Carrington has also won the K1 200 at the world championships nine times since 2011. She has been named Sportswoman of the Year six times at the Halberg Awards and was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Hear it as it happens with live commentary of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on GOLD SPORT & iHeartRadio, plus comprehensive coverage on Newstalk ZB.