Kurtis Imrie was just 1.37secs from creating history at the New Zealand canoe racing championships at Lake Karapiro, with only an Olympian stopping him recording a unique treble.
The 21-year-old paddler from the Mana club in Wellington took home four gold medals, including rare wins in the K1 200m and 500m finals.
Yesterday’s K1 1000m showdown saw an intriguing showdown, with Imrie pushing Rio Olympian and Mana teammate Marty McDowell all the way.
After a decent post-Olympic break, McDowell finished in 3:37.05, with Imrie clocking 3:38.42, well clear of Poverty Bay rival Quaid Thompson, who was third in 3:44.05.
Imrie, the younger brother of Olympic K4 paddler Kayla, had earlier beaten Bay of Plenty’s Taris Harker in Friday’s sprint decider. Today he added the K1 500m title with a commanding 2.75sec margin over Thompson, although Thompson had a measure of revenge at the end of a big weekend of racing, capturing the 5km crown with Imrie fourth.
It’s been a long fightback for Imrie, after contracting glandular fever two years ago, but things have improved markedly since joining the national men’s programme in Auckland in December under coach Fred Loyer.
His other golds came in team boats, combining with McDowell to win the K2 1000m final, and with McDowell, Ethan Moore and Glen Muirhead in the K4 1000m.
Despite his sprinting success, the longer distances are where he sees his future success.