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National | Matariki

Lisa Carrington claims gold at Matariki Awards

World Champion Kayaker and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Carrington has taken out the Te Waitā Award for Sport at the 2017 Matariki Awards.

The Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki descendant is one of Māoridom's most successful and decorated sportspeople. Tonight, she added yet another honour to her long list of prestigious awards.

Carrington was named Sportswoman of the Year at the 2016 Halberg Awards before claiming the supreme Halberg Award.

The 28-year-old became only the third woman to win the top prize in the past decade – after Lydia Ko (2013) and Valerie Adams (2007, 2009).

At the Rio Olympics, Lisa took gold in the K1 200m and bronze in the K1 500m, becoming the first New Zealand female to claim multiple medals at an Olympics.

She was then selected as the flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Coached by Gordon Walker, Lisa is now based on Auckland's North Shore and is studying for a graduate diploma in psychology after already earning a Bachelor of Arts.

She became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2013 New Year Honours for her services to kayaking.

Carrington is also the only kayaker, female or male, to win world championship medals in both K1 events every year since the 2012 London Games.

Te Kāea sports reporter Tamati Tiananga spoke to Carrington prior to the award's night. You catch watch the story below: