Days after being crowned Olympic champion, New Zealand’s Finn Butcher found himself gazing at his gold medal trying to process what he had just achieved.
Butcher had made his dream come true in Paris with a stunning victory in the men’s kayak cross final.
“I could not stop holding it and staring at it,” said Butcher.
“There have been moments where I have woken up or just talked to myself, ‘Man, it’s real’.”
Not only did Butcher secure Olympic gold but etched his name in canoeing history as the first man to win a kayak cross title at the Games.
“To be the first Olympic champion in kayak cross is pretty special and it will always be there,” added the 29-year-old New Zealander.
Butcher is now steadily adapting to life as an Olympic gold medallist having spent time in his home nation celebrating with friends and family.
“It’s really crazy,” said Butcher.
“It has sunk in but to be able to hear people say (Olympic champion) and to say it myself is pretty crazy.
“I have been loving it.
“I went home for two and a half weeks so it was super cool to see all the support that New Zealand gave us.”
Before the Olympic Games in Paris, Butcher had never won a major senior title but had proven himself as a contender for a medal in kayak cross.
His previous best achievement was a kayak cross silver at the 2021 International Canoe Federation World Championships in Bratislava.
He had also got on the podium at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cups with three of his four medals coming in the past 12 months.
Coming into the Paris 2024, Butcher said his main focus was on soaking up the experience of his Olympic debut.
“The whole of Paris did such a good job putting on the Games and it was an awesome environment,” said Butcher.
“I probably didn’t perform as well as I wanted to in the kayak.
“I made a few mistakes in the semi-final which put me out.
“That was a little disappointing but I knew that I had another opportunity in the kayak cross so I had to reset and refocus for that.
“When I started the kayak cross, I was just super happy with the whole experience and was really enjoying every day.
“I remember the final day of kayak cross thinking ‘Whatever happens I have had the best time’.
“That was one of the goals which was to try to enjoy it.
“A lot of people have said to me that they went to the Olympics and that it wasn’t the most enjoyable thing because they put so much pressure on themselves.
“I was super happy to be enjoying things and to keep winning the rounds so to come out on top in the final was pretty amazing.
“The feeling of going across that finish line knowing that I am Olympic champion is something pretty incredible.”
Kayak cross proved a huge hit with sports fans and media across the world raving about the success of the new Olympic event.
Butcher is excited about the future of what he believes is an “awesome package” and is hopeful that kayak cross will continue to grow.
“Overall, kayak cross was really well received and really well presented,” said Butcher.
“The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible at the venue.
“We didn’t have a crowd for the time trial but for round one, repechage, heats and then the quarter-final through to the final the crowd was absolutely loving it.
“There was so much energy that we could take from that.
“Going home and hearing how many people that watched and really loved the sport, saying it was their favourite sport of the Games has been pretty cool.
“Hopefully we can keep that ball rolling and keep kayak cross really on the map because we have got an awesome package.”
Kayak cross will feature on the global stage for the first time since Paris 2024 when it takes place on the final day of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Ivrea on Sunday.
Butcher is looking forward to returning to the start ramp again but is expecting stiff competition.
“Ivrea is probably one of my favourite venues on the circuit so I am super stoked to be back here,” said Butcher.
“The kayak cross on Sunday is going to be as crazy as normal here so we will have to rip into it and see if we can stand on top of that podium again.
“But we will see as there are a lot of hungry people around here looking to get up there.
“I will just have fun and see how I will go because that’s the most you can do.”
For the results competition schedule in Ivrea, click here.
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