Carrington parks herself in garage to train

Lisa Carrington will be spending plenty of time in her garage over the next month as she readjusts to the Tokyo Olympics postponement.

The dual Olympic champion canoeist told TVNZ yesterday that she’ll continue to train towards the Olympics in 2021. The level-4 lockdown in New Zealand will limit Carrington’s training programme over the next few weeks.

‘‘I’ve got a bit of equipment at home and I guess, at times, that ability to go outside and exercise so it’s just scaling things back and being a bit innovative because we can’t do those things we always do – we can’t train in groups or train with our coach watching.

‘‘But I’ve managed to set up a few things in my garage.’’

Carrington said she had been expecting to race in Tokyo this year and it was tough mentally to accept that wouldn’t be happening. ‘‘But then there’s the fact we have to look after each other and stop the spread of this virus so it’s a conflicting one, and all around the world, it’s a tough time.

‘‘We just need to take a little time to digest it and fully understand what is ahead of us and be innovative with training because, in a way, it’s really difficult to stop what we’re doing so we just to find new ways of doing it.’’

The 30-year-old won gold in the women’s K1 200m class at the 2012 London Olympics and defended her crown in Rio four years later, while also capturing bronze in the K1 500m event.

Carrington could compete in up to four events in Tokyo, having also featured in the K2 500 and K4 500 boat for New Zealand at recent world championships.