Coach departs

Canoe Racing New Zealand boss Mark Weatherall has paid tribute to departing national women’s coach Rene Olsen, with the Danish-born coach finishing his contract after next month’s under-23 world championships. Olsen’s tenure has coincided with a golden period of female paddling in New Zealand over the past three years. It culminated with a golden haul at the first two World Cup events of the season recently, with the eight-strong women’s team winning six golds in two weeks. ‘‘Rene has created and implemented a world-class programme in his time here and he’s substantially increased the depth of female paddlers in New Zealand,’’ Weatherall said. British Canoeing has announced it has appointed Olsen to its high performance programme.