Olympic and world medallists are part of New Zealand's 13-member team for the 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan.
Paris 2024 gold medallists Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett, and Tara Vaughan are among the standout names, along with world champion Aimee Fisher.
In the absence of the legendary eight-time Olympic champion Lisa Carrington, who decided to sit out this season, Lucy Matehaere will be part of the famous women's kayak four boat for the Kiwis.
Carrington led Brett, Hoskin, and Vaughan to the gold medal at Paris 2024 in the K4 500m, but the new quartet will be keen to make a mark after not being able to land on the podium in the first two ICF Canoe Sprint World Cups of the season in Szeged and Poznan.
Fisher won gold in the women's kayak single 1000m final in Hungary this year before repeating the feat in Poland.
She was New Zealand's only medallist in both competitions.
Other athletes who will join them in Italy are Emma Kemp, Grant Clancy, James Munro, Kacey Ngataki, Kalani Gilberston, Quaid Thompson, Finn Murphy, and Scott Martlew.
For Kemp and Martlew, it will be the first major competition of the season.
Mana Kayak Club’s Kemp is in for a run of a busy period as she will also represent New Zealand in Canoe Marathon at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, before flying to Milan a week later.
Martlew, a three-time Paralympian and a three-time World Championships medallist, will lead the charge in Paracanoe events along with newbie Finn Murphy.
Hamish Legarth and James Scott, who were part of the New Zealand squad at the first two World Cups, will not be travelling to Milan.
The World Championships will be staged from August 20 to 24, with more than 1,500 athletes and technical staff from 60 nations expected to take part.
Related links
