Hon Grant RobertsonMinister for Sport and Recreation
Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has today congratulated New Zealand Olympic kayaker Lisa Carrington on her
exceptional performance at the Tokyo Olympics which has led to her becoming the most decorated New Zealand Olympian.
“Lisa is a phenomenal athlete. To win the K1 200m three Olympics in a row, and to add both the K2 500 gold with Caitlyn
Regal earlier this week and the K1 500 gold today is an exceptional effort. She is tough, resilient and remarkable, and
deservedly the most decorated New Zealand Olympian,” Grant Robertson said.
Lisa Carrington is the first New Zealand woman to win three Olympic medals in a single Olympics and now holds an
incredible six Olympic medals across three Olympic games. She is also one of only two New Zealanders, along with rower
Hamish Bond, to win golds in three consecutive Olympics – and the only one to win it in the same event.
“Not only is she a remarkable athlete, but she’s also a well-rounded, humble and kind person. She is rightly celebrated
for her discipline and work ethic, as well as her integrity and showing her appreciation for the people who have helped
her along the way. New Zealand is so very proud of her achievements.”
Grant Robertson has also congratulated the New Zealand Olympic Team for their outstanding performance in these Olympics.
With a total of 17 medals so far, including a record number of seven Gold medals, they are on the road to a possible
record medal haul.
“This is our biggest ever Olympic team, and every single one of them has done us proud. Given the disruption caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic, the lead-up to these Games has been incredibly challenging for all the athletes involved. People
talk a lot about the importance of resilience in high performance sport, and this team have all shown they have that in
spades.
“This has been a truly remarkable Olympics for New Zealand. To deliver a performance of this scale takes a great team of
people and I would like to congratulate our athletes who have inspired the nation by what they have achieved. We may not
have the same resources as many of our international competitors, but these athletes have well and truly made their mark
on the world,” Grant Robertson said.