In June 2009 she won a bronze medal at the World Cup regatta held in Szeged, Hungary, competing alongside Teneale Hatton in the women's K‑2 1000 metres event.[12] In May 2010 the pair won the gold medal in the same event at a World Cup regatta in Vichy, France.[13] In late 2010 she started working with coach Gordon Walker.[14]
Carrington and Hatton won three gold medals at the 2010 Oceania Canoe Championships; they won the 500 and 1000 metres K‑2 events and were joined by Rachael Dodwell and Erin Taylor to win the K‑4 500 metres.[15] The pair became the first New Zealanders ever to reach a World Championship A final at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznań, Poland.[16] Their time of one minute 42.365 seconds in the semi-finals meant they qualified third fastest for the final of the K‑2 500 metres, however they finished the final in ninth position.[16]
At the 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Carrington won the gold medal in the women's K‑1 200 metres event; and became the first New Zealand woman to win a canoeing World Championship title.[17] The result secured an Olympic qualification berth for New Zealand.[18] She was also honoured with the Māori Senior Sports Woman of the Year Award.[19]
At the 2019 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Carrington won gold medals in the K‑1 500 metres and K‑1 200 metres events.[26]
On 3 August 2021, at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Carrington won her third consecutive gold medal in the K‑1 200 metres event.[6] On the same day, she and her crewmate Caitlin Regal won a gold medal in the K‑2 500 metres event.[27] On 5 August 2021, she won a further gold medal in the K‑1 500 metres event.[4] With her third gold medal, she became New Zealand's most successful Olympian of all time, with a total of six medals (one more than fellow canoeists Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald and equestrian Mark Todd), five of which are gold (one more than Ferguson's previous record).[28][29] She is also the first New Zealand woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics,[29][28] and was referred to by the New Zealand Herald as the "Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in the boat".[30]
Awards and honours
Carrington was named as New Zealand's senior Māori sportswoman and overall Māori sportsperson of the year in November 2012.[31] In the 2013 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to kayaking.[32] In 2014, Carrington was named the NEXT Woman of the Year in the Sport category.[33] At the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 Halberg Awards, she won the Sportswoman of the Year, and in 2016 and 2021 she also won the Supreme Award.[24][34][35]
On 11 February 2021, Carrington was named the most influential Māori sports personality of the past 30 years in the Māori Sports Awards 30 in 30 show, aired on Māori Television.[36][37]
Carrington is an athlete ambassador for Beef and Lamb New Zealand, alongside Eliza McCartney, Sophie Pascoe and Sarah Walker.[39] She is also an ambassador for Southern Cross Health Society.[40]
^"New Year honours list 2013". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.