New Zealand’s women’s four-kayak crew won the gold in the 500m race at the Paris Games, three years after they missed the podium in Tokyo.

Lisa Carrington, her team and the Germans were pushed hard over the final 100m. They had to dig in to finish the race in 1:32.20 seconds, which was 0.42 second faster than the Germans. Hungary won the bronze, having taken the gold medal in Tokyo.

Alicia Hoskin, a Kiwi kayaker, said: "We have learned a great deal from Tokyo. It is a thing that evolves. We've worked incredibly on everything that could make a change, and today it was nice to see it all come together."

Olivia Brett, a New Zealander who was part of the team that won this race in 2010, said they had a plan.

It looks that way when you watch the race. But for us, that was our plan, and we followed it. "Everyone has that little extra heart when we lift a bit," said she.

The race was perfect for Carrington, New Zealand's most decorated Olympian. She has six golds and a bronze medal and could win more in Paris.

To win, it's an amazing race. We have to get four girls working together at once. It is special and hard work. "We just got it. It doesn't happen by accident, we worked hard for it," said she.

It was amazing. The chaos was a challenge, but we worked hard to meet the demands and do the work that needed doing. "We are extremely proud of the work we have done and our team."

(source: Reuters)