KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - A jubilant Erin Taylor booked her ticket to Beijing today, winning her Olympic kayaking qualification race and boosting the New Zealand team to four.
Taylor, 20, paddled one of the fastest times of her life, one minute, 53.77 seconds, to beat Australia's Alana Nicholls by 1-1/2 boat-lengths in the women's K1 500m at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.
It was her second chance after Nicholls beat her comfortably in the original Oceania qualification race a fortnight ago, but New Zealand officials successfully protested against unfair conditions.
Taylor and compatriot Troy Burbridge complained of weeds hampering their progress and the International Canoe Federation upheld the protest and ordered the races be re-run.
But there was heartbreak today for Burbridge who was beaten by Australian Tony Schumacher by 3/4 of a boat-length in the men's K1 500m qualification race.
Taylor, ranked 14th in the world, will join Ben Fouhy, Steven Ferguson and Mike Walker at Beijing, pending New Zealand Olympic Committee approval.
She will be New Zealand's first woman flatwater paddler at an Olympics.
"With about 50m to go I thought `oh no, you've gone too early', but I was just thinking `Olympics, Olympics, keep going' - it was such a relief," Taylor told NZPA.
"I've never had a race with that much pressure in my life and I don't know if I will again."
- NZPA
