Waka Ama sprints at Lake Karapiro Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
The Waka Ama National Sprint Championships have wrapped up with paddlers now setting their sights on the World Long Distance Championships later this year.
The much-anticipated Premiere Men's W6 500 metre sprint saw Pineula Mulivai from the club Akarana victorious with another gold medal yesterday, followed by Team Vaka Manu from Manukau Outrigger canoe club.
Team member Manutea Millon, who set the new world record holder for the fastest 500-metre sprint earlier this week, said it was a hard-fought race.
"We were stressing a lot cause we were going to start on lane three, but like I told the boys when we were making a lot of mistakes in the semi-finals and I just told them to give everything, focus on the game plan and don't look on the side anymore, just focus on the finish line," Millon said.
Behind them by one second was Team Vaka Manu from Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club which has team member Kayce Ngataki who came second to Manutea Millon in the single W1 500-metre sprint race.
He is currently the Open Mens V1 500 World Sprint Champion after winning gold last year at the World Sprint Championships in London, beating multi-world champion Tupuria King.
He was thrilled with how his team performed and said there were parts from the competition they would be able to take away to perfect.
"It's awesome to know we can go back to training and work on somethings and there's always room for improvement so keeps us training for future," Ngataki said.
He was also planning on going on a training camp with the New Zealand kayaking squad to help improve his technique over the next couple of years.
Herbert's On Tour from Nga Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club won their very first 1500-meter sprint.
Team member Tupuria King said he was happy with his team and his own performance this week.
Despite coming third in the single W1 500 sprint race against Manutea Millon and Kayce Ngataki, he was still content with his results.
"It reminds me of me when I was 20 years old and starting to make my way onto the premier men's team. Same things happening now, I'm 30 this year so it's good to see the next generation coming in strong," King said.
He was now focusing on World Long Distance preparation and had put his name forward to coach the New Zealand men's team again.
He hoped he would be able to paddle alongside the men if he did.
"If there's a six meeting that criteria better than myself then you know I won't select myself obviously but still finding that balance between athlete and coaching life."
His sister Rose King won gold alongside her team Kaiarahi Toa from Horouta in the Premier Women's W6 500 Metre and 1500 Metre Sprints.
She said the team was anxious because two days before the competition, club member Kiwi Campbell said she was not paddling with the team.
"Kiwi Campbell is our main paddler and she's been in this team a long time. Coach, paddler, she's like the matriarch of waka ama... it came as a bit of a shock, it tested us," King said.
Meanwhile, Kaiarahi Toa from Horouta's Master Women's team won gold in their W6 500 metre sprint and silver in their W6 1000-metre sprint.
They also won second in their W6 1000 metre sprint against their competitors MJ Mamas from Haeata Ocean Sports.
"We had a good little tussle with MJ's coming through the progressions, we were very slow to be kind, but we thought we have enough experience to change that dynamic up so we plugged away at it and cleaned up a few areas and came in a good second".
Moving forward everything would be looked at to help the team improve, she said.
"The training and the build-up towards the Nationals whether it be the physicality, physiology or psychology of things. We're usually a little bit sharper but we're happy to be able to produce these results for our club."
Their competitor Haeata also won bronze in their W6 500-metre sprint against Horouta.
Team member Kaye Ross said the results we good for a team that hasn't had much time to train together.
"Think that's the biggest challenge for us because we've got three of us from Hawke's Bay and three from Bay of Plenty so what we can do on that water, we're really wrapped with what we've accomplished," Ross said.
When asked if there were plans to compete in the World's Long-Distance competition, she said "Hell yes" and "it would be nice to put a team together".
The World Long Distant Championships takes place in Samoa between the 10th-19th of August.