Kayak legend Lisa Carrington takes 2025 season off, ends championship streak, eyes LA 2028

Lisa Carrington, a dash kayak gold medalist on the final 4 Olympics, is taking the 2025 season off from worldwide competitors however plans to return in 2026 for the run-up to the 2028 LA Video games, her rep confirmed Monday.

“After 16 consecutive seasons on the prime stage, Lisa has opted to not journey with the crew in 2025, making this 12 months look barely totally different from earlier ones,” New Zealand’s canoe federation stated in an announcement, in line with the Worldwide Canoe Federation. “She’s again to full coaching and having fun with the added flexibility in her schedule. The plan is to return to worldwide competitors subsequent 12 months, together with her sights firmly set on LA 2028.”

Carrington, 35, is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and the one athlete throughout all sports activities to win three gold medals at each the Tokyo and Paris Video games.

Together with the World Championships, Carrington has gained at the least one international title yearly courting to 2011, save 2020 when occasions had been canceled as a consequence of COVID-19. That streak will finish in 2025.

On the 2028 LA Video games, Carrington can win particular person gold at a fifth Olympics (as can American swimmer Katie Ledecky). The one athletes throughout all sports activities to do this to this point in Olympic historical past are Dutch pace skater Ireen Wüst and Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez.

With two extra Olympic golds, Carrington would attain 10 for her profession. Michael Phelps is the one Olympian to win 10 or extra gold medals, taking 23 from 2004-16.

Different energetic athletes also can attain 10 Olympic golds: swimmers Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel every at present have 9, equestrian Isabell Werth of Germany has eight, gymnast Simone Biles has seven and Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has 5 with a shot at six extra on the 2026 Milan Cortina Video games.