Tāwhirimātea proved an overwhelming challenge for the pace of the paddlers at Karāpiro today. With only 4 finals races to go, the winds were gusting at 50km per hour during the final few 500m sprints. Paddlers were not only battling each other but Tāwhirimātea too, when a strong gust almost took out one of the stationed cameras on land.
There were some other unexpected turns today as paddlers faced the pressure for a place at the IVF Va’a World Sprint Championships. Several waka capsized, and split-second decisions ended qualification hopes for the major international regatta this August.
It will be the first time Singapore hosts the sprint championships, reflecting the sport’s accelerating global reach. That growth is mirrored at home, with National Sprints in Aotearoa attracting more than 800 additional paddlers this year alone, a surge that has intensified competition and raised the stakes across every lane.
This year’s sprints are revealing something new: W1 racing is no longer just about raw power off the line. Tight fields, bigger talent pools, and the weight of international selection have turned finals into tactical contests where judgement, composure and timing are as decisive as speed. Even experienced paddlers are being forced into higher-risk calls earlier in races, and not everyone is getting away with it.
Today marked the first of the adult races, with team events set to dominate tomorrow. The pace and precision on display reflect a high-performance environment shaped by structural change. In 2025, Waka Ama New Zealand, alongside other international Outrigger, agreed to a shift of the World Sprint Championships from a bi-annual to a four-year cycle, a move designed to revive domestic competition and ease the relentless training demands placed on elite paddlers.
The introduction of Long Distance Worlds in 2017 filled the off-years, but left many athletes locked into continuous high-intensity preparation. The revised cycle is already reshaping how paddlers approach national campaigns, placing even more emphasis on moments like this week, where form, resilience and decision-making are tested in real time.
As the regatta continues, the message from Karāpiro is that the strength in the women’s field has never been stronger, and selection is no longer about reputation alone. Every paddler knows, every stroke counts, and the margin for error has all but disappeared.
Winners of their divisions and W1 qualifiers for the IVF Va’a World Sprint Champion Championships 2026 in Singapore:
Akayshia Williams: Premiere Women - Horouta Waka Hoe Club Inc
Manutea Millon: Premiere Men - Pineula Inc
Annie Cairns: Master Women - Haeata Ocean Sports Inc
Eric Holland-Waterson: Master Men - Hoe Tonga Pasifika Waka Ama
Nicky King: Senior Master Women - Taupō Waka Ama Club
Ross Gilray: Senior Master Men - Te Waka Pounamu
Jan Dixon: Gld Master Women - Mana Pasifika Outrigger
Brent Whitcombe: Gld Master Men - Ngā Hoe Horo
Taylynn Morete: U23 Women - Horouta Waka Hoe Club Inc
Sam Lees: U23 Men - Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club
Hine Brooking: J19 Women - Horouta Waka Hoe Club Inc
Maia Campbell: J19 Men - Horouta Waka Hoe Club Inc
Lochlan Te’o: J16 Men - Pineula Inc
Riria Ata: J16 Women - Horouta Waka Hoe Club Inc
Kiriana LeComte-Hepburn: Int Women - Hei Matau Paddlers
Joseph Elliott-Southon: Int Men - Te Toki Voyaging Trust
Peter Cowan: Adaptive Men - Haeata Ocean Sports
David King: Master 70 Men - Ngā Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club
Hilda Hawkyard-Harawira: Master 70 Women - Kaihoe o Ngāti Rēhua Trust
Murray Carey: Master 75 Men - Hoe Aroha Whānau o Mauao
Katja Hildebrant: Master 75 Women - Waitakere Outrigger Canoe Club
Maurice Marvin: Master 80 Men - Hoe Aroha Whānau o Mauao
