World champions of 2014: Lisa Carrington

Lisa Carrington tries not to focus on the outcome of a race. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

There's nothing overstated about Lisa Carrington.

When she wins big titles, as she has in the past four years, there's a smile, maybe a discreet wave and, well, that's about it.

No whooping and hollering, or leaping from her kayak.

So anyone expecting anything different when she won her third straight K1 200m world sprint title in Moscow in August was always going to be out of luck.

Since stunning the kayak community by winning the world title in 2011, Carrington has made people sit up and take notice. Being unbeaten over a distance will do that.

Having won the Olympic title in London, she backed up by winning the 2013 world event and decided it was time to branch out.

So her sights are set on having a crack at the K1 200 and 500m double at the Rio Olympics.

It's certainly within her capability, as she's shown in the past year. She finished third in the 2013 worlds in the 500m while maintaining her grip on the shorter distance.

Last year she edged one spot closer, taking silver over 500m, behind Hungarian Danuta Kozak who had also won the 2013 crown.

Carrington won her heat and semifinal before clocking 1m 49.790s in the final, 0.507s behind Kozak with South African Bridgitte Hartley third.

In 2013, Carrington had won the 200m final in 39.522s, pipping Poland's Marta Wolczykiewicz, and repeated the dose in Moscow in August.

This time Carrington won in 37.898s, with the Pole almost a full second back - a mile in a race of that length - and Nikolina Moldovan of Serbia third.

The 25-year-old is from the Bay of Plenty but spends much of her time in Auckland. She grew up in the surf and still retains her old surf lifesaving links.

Both Carrington and her coach Gordon Walker have been cagey in spelling out specifically that an Olympic double in Rio is full steam ahead. Yes, she'd fancy it. Yes, Walker is confident she could do it.

Her results certainly support that.

Carrington's philosophy on the startline?

"I try not to focus on the outcome or beating someone, because that kind of takes you into nerves and expectations," she said during the year.

"It's more about being around great athletes and thinking, 'You know what, we're starting our race and no one's won it yet.' So I guess it's more about respect and enjoyment."