Kayaking: Lisa Carrington relishing new challenges

Lisa Carrington and Aimee Fisher (NZL) on their way to victory in the women's K2 200m final. Photo / Photosport

Lisa Carrington is relishing the change of direction in her kayaking this year.

Having spent five years establishing herself among the pre-eminent single seat paddlers in the sport, a repeat world champion in the K1 200m sprint distance and now strong enough at the classic 500m discipline to have won a bronze at the Rio Olympics last year, Carrington has turned her attention to multi-seat racing.

The change proved hugely successful at the opening World Cup regatta in Portugal last weekend, where she won the three events she was in - the K2 200m and 500m, both with the promising Aimee Fisher, and the K4, with Fisher, Caitlin Ryan and Kayla Imrie, when in the last event of the regatta for the New Zealanders, they held off the Ukraine in a thrilling contest by a tiny margin.

The Auckland-based, but proudly Bay of Plenty-raised paddler has three Olympic medals to her name - back-to-back 200m golds from London and Rio, and bronze in the 500m last year - knew she needed a fresh challenge this year.

She's contesting the K1 500m at the second World Cup in Szeged, Hungary, along with K2 and K4 events this weekend but there's only so much solo seat racing to do before the mind, and body, needs a new working environment.

"It's having a different focus," she said from Szeged.

"It can be pretty consuming just doing K1 so I'm trying to relieve that pressure and things have to be different. For me it's about trying out new things - are there other ways of doing things I haven't discovered before. It's really refreshing."

The enjoyment showed on the faces of Carrington and her K4 team mates - who were all in the four-seater in Rio - in Portugal. That there was a sense of collective enjoyment was clear. Then again, repeat victories don't hurt either.

"It comes with its challenges but it's so important to continue that growth. It has been really cool and to be part of the greater team as well has been really beneficial."

The vibe among the women is strong, she said. Carrington, at 27 and with a wealth of top level international experience behind her, said that while the responsibility is 100 per cent hers in a single seat, it comes down to 50 percent in a K2, and 25 percent in a K4.

She plays down any suggestion that she is the hub of the quartet's activities, the person they turn to. But it would be logical for the younger trio of Imrie, Ryan (both 25) and 22-year-old Fisher to seek out Carrington for advice or tips.

"I've only raced one international K4 and that was six or seven years ago," Carrington said.

"In a team you share responsibility and you also bring different attributes. Everyone has them and at the moment we're still working out how we can be a team. It's an exciting time to be coming together."

Ryan changed camps a few months ago and now trains with Carrington and coach Gordon Walker, based on the North Shore.

"I train beside her every day and for me it's really inspiring," Ryan said. "I'm paddling with the benchmark every day. I'm not going to lie; the first time I got in a boat with her I was so nervous, but she emphasises the strengths of everyone in the boat. I see that ethic and commitment every day. To be able to perform with her is a real honour, but I take it as a bit of a compliment too."

Carrington is determined to be part of a New Zealand group - there's eight women on the European campaign, including a young quartet heading for the world under 23 championships - which can take on the world's heavyweight nations, such as Hungary, Ukraine, Germany and Belarus.

"If we can bridge that gap between us and the rest of the world and create a really dominant programme, with a dominant female contingent that would be amazing," Carrington said.