Unbeatable

After congratulations her on the record-breaking achievements, nearly every interview and conversation Carrington has had since winning her third gold medal in Paris has been prefixed with, “Can you do this again in four years’ time?”

The homecoming hype and curiosity about her future on the waters is no surprise: Carrington has been here before, having won gold at three previous Olympic Games.

“It's probably hard to know what normal these days is,” she confesses. “Coming home has been really busy. But the reception of people and family and friends has been so nice and welcoming: there’s so much love.”

Interestingly, ‘Olympic great’ is not how Carrington is described by sporting media here. While technically correct, ‘New Zealand’s most successful Olympian’, or ‘most decorated Olympian’ doesn’t give a true indication of Carrington’s success or place in Olympic history.  She is already third equal on the all-time list of female Olympic champions. If she was to win in Los Angeles in 2028, she would potentially be second to swimmer Katie Ledecky, with only Michael Phelps in front of either.

That, of course, is speculation. What is fact, is that at 35, Carrington is paddling faster than ever, winning across longer distances and in both solo and team kayaks.

“I've got better over time. I think just having a general philosophy that you can build on physiology over time. And mentally, I prepare really well. Paddling is technically a very hard sport; it’s taken me this long to paddle the way I would like to paddle. Technically, I want to be as good as I can, so I'm more efficient spending less energy to make the boat go faster.”

Beyond physiology is a drive to succeed. Carrington admits it can be a touch extreme, both for her and super-coach Gordon Walker.

“Am I easy? As in, coachable? Yeah, I probably push him pretty hard, just to work out how I can get better. And I guess at times that can be really challenging. Because the expectation on myself is so high. It's crazy,” she says.

Flat water canoe racing was not part of the plan for a young Lisa Carrington; it was only when she saw her older brother paddling a surf ski at Ohope Beach that she decided, at 13, to try it out.

“He was quite good at it, and I because I looked up to my older brothers, I wanted to do it as well. They did Surf Club, so I wanted to do that. They surfed, so I surfed. I just wanted to follow them and be like them because I thought they were cool.”

The laid-back lifestyle of the Western Bay of Plenty could not be further removed from the intensity of an Olympic pre-race. It’s the culmination of years of preparation and four month's intensive build-up, with medal placings to be decided in around 100 seconds.

“In that scenario, I'm trying to be in the moment as much as I can. I'll think about things that relate to either my race strategy or how I'm paddling and trying to keep my mind optimistic.”

Yet heats and even semi-finals are never the focus. Carrington’s entire preparation is purely for the finals.

“I trained and prepared for Paris knowing that I only had to go three times: in the K-4, K-2 and K-1. If you're not experienced, you potentially go too hard in the semifinal because you're scared, you’re worried.”

Just how calm and measured was Carrington during the K1-500 semi-final? She was one of the tens of millions of viewers watching the live coverage as her fierce rival, Hungary’s Tamara Csipies, took an early lead.

“Tamara was in front of me, but she was about three lanes over so I couldn't quite tell [how far]. But I could see the big screen. I always watch the big screen, and I can tell if the camera is on me, it probably means I'm in front.”

By the time they crossed the 250m mark, Carrington was watching herself win. It would be her third time on the top step of the podium at Vaires-sur-Marne in as many days. She was already our most successful Olympian before she arrived in Paris, but this took her career haul to eight golds and the bronze in the K1-500 in Rio.

Yet, glittering success is not her main motivator.

“It would be pretty mundane if I did it just for the medals,” she says. “There's way more to it than crossing the line first. Yes, that’s what the goal is, but it’s an outcome; a real fast track into pushing boundaries and limits, mentally and physically. That's what it's for.

“We worked so hard for years and years, and that’s what matters at those moments in time; that's what we work for. I just want to be better, and I want to see how fast I can go. Even then, you don't know if you can win a world title or an Olympic title. The hard part is doing it again and again and again.”

What has kept the process fresh for Carrington has been that – from Games to Games – the challenge has constantly changed, from race distance to crew size. In Paris, it was the K-4.

Solo success was the crowning glory of Carrington’s clean sweep. But her first K-4 win alongside Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan was arguably the biggest achievement.

“At the start, I didn’t think we would even be at the Olympics. We had some moments that were like, ‘oh, should we be doing this?’ We really had to start out from scratch.”

But a new challenge was exactly what Carrington was looking for.

“The challenge of Paris was doing something that New Zealand has never done with a clean slate. We wanted to prove that we could win three gold medals: as a team. I think that’s what's so special, and I'm learning about the power of people working together.”

Looking back, not only on the race but the build-up, Carrington describes the K-4 experience as inspirational, and not just for her.

“People are telling me how amazing it was to watch us girls do it together. I think it's so empowering because it's actually really easy just to go off and do your own thing. But this, I can’t do all on my own.

“It was harder for me to work in the team than on my own, but I would have learned less if I just stayed by myself.”

The sheer romance of New Zealand repeating 1984’s kayak success seems justification enough to ask the Olympic great if Los Angeles 2028 will see the return of Dame Lisa Carrington?

“It definitely could. I would love to do it again. But there would need to be a different challenge. And I also want to make sure that I am fulfilling my whole life as well.”

In other words: watch this space.