Lisa Carrington leads women’s K4 into final

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

Lisa Carrington has successfully returned to competitive canoe racing in Milan.

The eight-time Olympic champion spearheaded New Zealand's K4 crew to the final with a win in the heats at the Canoe Sprint World Championships on Wednesday (Thursday NZ Time).

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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 K4 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.