New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian Lisa Carrington has confirmed her plans to race at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
With a simple message on social media, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist underlined her commitment to another Olympic cycle.
“And we're back. Let's go,” she wrote on Instagram, with the hashtag #LA28.
Carrington clinched three Olympic golds at Paris 2024, cursing to victory in the kayak single 500m, kayak double 500m and kayak four 500m.
The 35-year-old’s hat-trick helped her equal the record title tally of Germany’s Birgit Fischer, which had stood for 20 years.
“I’m excited about the journey ahead,” said Carrington.
“In both sport and life, there are no guarantees, so I think the only real option is to make the most of the moment and whatever path you’re on.
“There’s no doubt I’m passionate about growth, and I can’t wait to see how the team and I progress from here. We all have big dreams, and I want to help my teammates achieve them.”
Canoe Racing New Zealand's high-performance general manager Nathan Luce expressed his exitement at Carrington' decision.
“She took a bit of a break, but she's been training with the team for quite a while now,” Luce told ICF.
“She is at the height of her powers and enjoyed the process of getting here. I don’t think she wants to give that away, which is amazing.
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“We have seen that a lot of the athletes in our sport have continued deep into their 30s or maybe even 40s. We’re more than ecstatic that she’s willing to continue to contribute to our team and the programme and her crewmates from Paris are more than excited to continue working with her.
Carrington made her Olympic debut at London 2012, winning the kayak single 200m title.
She won her second gold in the same event and her solitary bronze in the K1 500m at Rio 2016. In Tokyo, she came out on top in the K1 200m, K1 500m, and K2 500m.
The K4 500m title in France was New Zealand’s first as she combined with youngsters Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett, and Tara Vaughan to end a 40-year domination by Germany and Hungary in the event at the Olympics.
“We’re fortunate that we have such great athletes who are continuing until LA, so that's amazing,” Luce added.
“We're happy to be a part of this incredible sport and we want to continue to see the sport grow.
“Lisa is so high on the medal-winning list and is an amazing ambassador for not only New Zealand but for Canoe Sprint. We’re fortunate to have her as a part of our team, but also as a part of our wider global community of Canoe Sprint.”
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