NZ women's K4 after World Championship victory Photo: Duisburg2023
The New Zealand women's K4 crew will get their first taste of the Paris Canoe Sprint course in this week's final World Cup regatta.
The crew of Dame Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughn qualified for the Olympics by winning at the World Championships in Germany at the weekend.
This regatta doubles as a test event for the Paris Games which are now less than a year away.
Carrington, who won three gold medals at the world champs, won't compete in the K1 500, but will team up with Alicia Hoskin in the K2 500.
Aimee Fisher and Danielle McKenzie will also race the K2 500.
Fisher, the 2021 world champion, and McKenzie will take part in the K1 500.
There are two New Zealand men's crews in the K2 and one in the K4.
It will be the first time the New Zealanders will have seen the Vaires-sur-Marne sprint course, just to the east of Paris.
Other New Zealand crews can qualify for the Olympics at the Oceania Champioships in Australia in the new year.
Vaires-sur-Marne canoe sprint course near Paris. Photo: AFP
Canoe Racing NZ general manager of Performance, Nathan Luce, said this is a valuable opportunity for their paddlers.
"Our main objective here is to give our potential Olympians an opportunity to acclimate to the Paris race course since most have never raced here before.
"Now that the first stage of Olympic qualfying is complete, the pressure is off and our team can enjoy Paris while continuing to get some quality racing in.
"This offers us a chance for athletes to get a lay of the land and acclimate to the local environment and race conditions the course may offer."
-RNZ