Their day began at 6.30am, when their alarms went off at their accommodation close to Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, a decent hike east of the French capital. They had breakfast together at 7.30am – protein and carbohydrates – and talked about the day ahead. From there were the usual preparations and processes, including a team meeting.
“We just took the day as it comes, said Brett. “We have a structure that we stick to each day and we went through that, checked each thing off this morning.”
They headed out for their warmup at 1.15pm, 35 minutes ahead of the race. The grandstands were full of Kiwi support, with more than 70 family and friends. That group which included Carrington’s parents, Pat and Glynis, along with Hoskin’s father Craig and mother Toni, were resplendent in custom-made t-shirts, with a special design montage of the quartet on the back.
Closer to the finish line, in the Olympic family section was an official New Zealand delegation, including Sport New Zealand boss Raelene Castle and Minister of Sport Chris Bishop, bravely sporting a white jacket in the hot sun and ready to cheer on “an amazing team”. Out on the water, the foursome were a mix of nerves and calm, as they focussed on the impending 90 seconds of agony.
“We were all speaking on the line and saying ‘we can do this’,” said Brett. “We were all giving words of encouragement, tapping the boat. That’s how we communicate. I can’t even remember what [Lisa’s] final thing was, but it was probably a tap of a boat.”
New Zealand made their usual fast start – Carrington’s forte – but could they hang on? Germany looked stronger at the halfway point, as a hush came over the Kiwi fans. Then came the surge that will become an indelible part of our sporting history, as the quartet found another gear, with the remarkable Carrington dragging them towards the line.
It was tight, but they wouldn’t relinquish their lead, with Carrington and Hoskin punching the air as they crossed the line. There were hugs on the jetty – as they celebrated with the wider team – a mix of disbelief and jubilation. After changing into tracksuits, they made the long walk back down the course for an emotional medal ceremony, which took place in front of most of their relatives, while the 1980s Eurythmics classic Sweet Dreams provided an appropriate soundtrack after the anthem.
As he walked back through the public area, head coach Gordon Walker was taking congratulations and hugs from peers and friends from around the world. Vaughan and Brett then talked to a series of international broadcasters, while Carrington and Hoskin donned ice vests in the shade of a nearby tree, with an eye on Friday’s K2 500m demands, as they debriefed with their coaches and support staff.
The quartet then headed out for a warm-down paddle, which was too much for some international journalists, who were still waiting to hear from the full team.
“That’s absolutely bullshit,” said a Scottish scribe. “I’m going.”
But the joke was on him, as he missed the opportunity to hear from a unique team, full of joy and confidence, satisfaction and pride, with Hoskin summing it up best.
“I guess there has been a few results in the past that have really fuelled my inspiration for working together as a team,” she said. “I knew that three years ago, I needed to put in the work, I needed to grow as a person and an athlete and I needed to help build the team, help trust the team. The relationships within the team is how we paddle our K4.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics’, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
