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NZ teams end Va'a World Sprint Champs on a high

It's the last day of the IVF Va'a World Sprint Champs in Tahiti today and New Zealand teams have come away with three golds and two silvers for women, as well as two bronze for men in the 500m races.

Overall, Aotearoa has come out second place on the medal table with Tahiti claiming back their mana winning first place.

Even though they haven't been able to keep the number one spot, the New Zealand teams and their supporters are proud of their performance at the championships.

Puhi Kaiariki from Gisborne started the day on a high winning gold in the V6 500m Junior 16 Women with a time of 2:04.27.

The team says they felt really relieved and happy after the race, now that they can rest.

“It’s all over that’s the main thing. No more 6am, 5.20am training,” they told Te Kāea reporter Rahia Timutimu.

Puhi Kaiariki are your V6 500m Junior 16 women’s champions! Hei Matau’s Okareka stuck by their side right to the end, but the Gisborne team have taken gold at the #WakaAmaWorlds2018 with a time of 2:04.27

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

The Junior 16 men’s V6 500m team, Baby Heli’s from Horouta Waka Hoe, won bronze in their final with a time of 1:48.87.

Something is in the water at Horouta Waka Hoe as their Junior 16 men’s V6 500m team have just taken bronze in their final. Baby Heli’s have won third place with their time of 1:48.87 at the #WakaAmaWorlds2018

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

Yesterday’s winning team Taitokerau won another gold today in the Master 60 women’s V6 500m final, taking their own team tally to three golds.

The team says they’re proud to represent Te Tai Tokerau and look forward to bringing home three golds to their region and iwi.

We have a gold medal in the Master 60 women’s V6 500m final. Yesterday’s winners Team Taitokerau have won another gold today in the final day at the #WakaAmaWorlds2018 which takes their own team tally to 3 golds.

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

Te Au Rere from Uruhina also fought hard to get their first medal of the day winning silver in the Master 40 women’s V6 500m final.

It’s a silver medal for Uruhina in the Master 40 women’s V6 500m final. The Te Au Rere side had an amazing start and fought hard to get their first medal of the day at the #WakaAmaWorlds.

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

In a race of eight teams in the Junior 19 women’s V6 500m final, five of the teams were from New Zealand and Hinetoa from Horouta Waka Ama won the race with a time of 2:00.14.

“Our team spirit has just really been lifted,” says one of the paddlers from Hinetoa. “Coming from our 1000 yesterday, and seeing how well they performed, we were kind of shaken and just put our best foot forward into this race. [We] just wanted to do ourselves proud and let them know that this fight wasn’t over and just push them to the end and really snatched it from them.”

In a race of 8 teams in the Junior 19 women’s V6 500m final, 5 of those teams were from NZ and here is your gold medalist team. It’s Hinetoa from Horouta Waka Ama, winning gold for their side here at the #WakaAmaWorlds2018 with a time of 2:00.14.

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

Horouta Waka Hoe’s Kaiarahi Toa are the second best V6 Open Women’s 500m team in the world after winning silver in the final.

Horouta Waka Hoe’s Kaiarahi Toa are the second best team in the world after winning silver here in the final of the V6 Open Women’s 500m at the #WakaAmaWorlds2018

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

For the Open Men’s V6 500m final only two of the eight teams racing were from New Zealand, leaving the race dominated by six Tahitian teams. But in the end, New Zealand team Pineula Mulivai won third place.

This race was so close Te Kāea had to inform Pineula that they had won bronze. With 8 teams in the Open Men’s V6 500m...

Posted by Te Ao Māori News on Thursday, July 26, 2018

The next IVF World Sprint Championships will be hosted by the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association at Hilo Bay, Hawaii in 2020.