Press Release – Canoe Racing NZ
Kurtis Imrie open men’s K1 500m gold medallist. Image Credit: Georgia Schofield.
Olympic-bound Kurtis Imrie backed up his success on day one of the NCZT New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships at Lake Karapiro to provide the highlight of day two courtesy an emphatic victory in the open men’s K1 500m.
The Mana paddler, who yesterday claimed K2 1000m gold – alongside his fellow Tokyo Olympic representative Max Brown – and K1 1000m silver, revealed his class with a commanding win over his pet distance against a top-class field in a time of 1:46.25.
Producing a spirited defence of his title, Ashton Reiser (North Shore) banked silver in 1:48.27 with Quaid Thompson (Poverty Bay) – a further 0.44 back adding bronze to the same colour medal he won yesterday in the K1 1000m. Max Brown, the K1 1000m champion, finished fourth (1:50.10).