Lisa Carrington leads K4 into final

Lisa Carrington heads the K4 crew into the 500m final at the world championships PHOTO: PLANET CANOE

Dame Lisa Carrington has successfully returned to competitive canoeing in Milan.

The eight-time Olympic champion's spearheaded New Zealand's K4 crew to the final with a win in the heats at the canoe sprint world championships.

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Carrington linked up with Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Lucy Matehaere as New Zealand topped their heat to go directly into the women’s kayak four 500m final.

“I didn’t think I was going to be as nervous as I was out there,” said Carrington, who will also team up with Vaughan in the women’s kayak double 500m.

“I was pretty nervous but it was so good to do it in the K4.”

Carrington was a late call-up to the boat as an injury replacement for Olivia Brett in Milan.

Aimee Fisher's won both her heats and will paddle in the semis of the K1 500 next, with a place in the K11000 final already secure.

Quaid Thompson's finished second in his K1-1000 heat and the men's K4 500 placed third - both are into the semi-finals.