New Zealand's sprint kayak athletes arrive in Szeged, Hungary this weekend for what shapes as a meaningful early-season examination. The World Cup regatta at the Maty-ér venue runs from Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May, and with Olympic qualification ranking points at stake, the pressure is real across every event on the programme.
Aimee Fisher leads the women's individual charge in the K1 500m, while Quaid Thompson faces a demanding double in the men's K1 1000m and K1 5000m. New Zealand's best prospects, though, may lie in the four-person boats. Fisher partners Olivia Brett, Greer Morley, and Lucy Matehaere in the women's K4 crew, and the men's K4 combines James Munro, Kurtis Imrie, Hamish Legarth, and Grant Clancy. Two K2 pairings will also fly the New Zealand flag in the men's 500m sprint.
There are several ways for supporters back home to keep tabs on proceedings. Sky Sport will carry racing across all three days, and Planet Canoe's YouTube channel is streaming full live coverage throughout the event. A monthly membership priced at $16.99 opens up that live feed along with members-only content for the remainder of the season. Competition begins tomorrow evening at 7.00pm NZT, with the men's and women's K4 heats pencilled in for around 8.30pm New Zealand time and semifinals in those events expected just before midnight.
For those prepared to keep later hours, Fisher's K1 heat is scheduled for 1.36am NZT on Saturday morning and Thompson's K1 1000m heat follows at 3.12am, with semifinals in both disciplines extending further into the early hours. Live results can be tracked at results.szeged2026.com throughout the weekend, and Canoe Racing NZ will be posting regular updates on Instagram and Facebook as racing progresses.
