The New Zealand team finished third nation behind Australia and Japan at the 2025 Asia Pacific Sprint Cup and earned plenty of podium positions after 2 busy days of racing by our young athletes at Lake Kiba, Japan over the weekend.
A last minute change in schedule due to an incoming storm due on Saturday resulted event organisers rescheduling the competition to squeeze all races into just 2 days. But earlier starts and additional races to the each day’s programme didn’t phase the young team, who got out on the water and raced hard.
Canoe Racing NZ’s aims in sending a team to AP are to provide development and international racing opportunities and campaign experience for young athletes.
Asia Pacific Cup has racing for U16, U18 and U21 age groups across both kayak and canoe. For many of New Zealand’s next generation of athletes, this was their first international racing competition, with vital development and experience opportunities.
Women’s Results:
1st Alexis Toy, U16 K1 200m
1st Jacqueline Kennedy, U18 K1 200m
1st Alexis Toy, U16 K1 500m
1st Jacqueline Kennedy, U18 K1 500m
1st Taylor Newman, Alexis Toy, U16 K2 500m
1st Jacqueline Kennedy, Stella Crossan
1st Taylor Newman, Alexis Toy, Zoe Anderson, Claudine Meerlo U16 K4 500m
1st Hope Duffett, Stella Crossan, Jacqueline Kennedy, Hannah Webb U18 K4 500m
2nd Taylor Newman U16 K1 200m
2nd Stella Crossan U18 K1 200m
2nd Taylor Newman U16 K1 500m
2nd Zoe Anderson, Claudine Meerlo K2 U16 500m
3rd Zoe Anderson, U16 K1 500m
3rd Hope Duffett, U18 K1 500m
5th Stella Crossan U18 K1 500m
6th Claudine Meerlo, U16 K1 200m
7th Hope Duffett, Hannah Webb, U18 K2 500m
8th Hannah Webb U18 K1 200m
Men’s Results:
1st Tiago Chamberlin, Sam Lees, U21 K2 500m
2nd Oliver Hutchinson Jake Botha, Nukutai, Oliver MacDonald U16 K4 500m
3rd Oliver Hutchinson U16 K1 1000m
3rd Tiago Chamberlin, Sam Lees, Matt McKendry, Sam Rogers, U21, K4 500m
4th Matt McKendry, U18 K1 1000m
4th Oliver Hutchinson, Jake Botha U16 K2 500m
5th Jake Botha, U16 K1 1000m
5th Sam Lees U21 K1 1000m
5th Jake Botha, U16 K1 500m
5th Matt McKendry, Liam Rogers U21 K2 500m
6th Matt McKendry U18 K1 500m
6th Oliver Hutchinson U16 K1 500m
6th Oliver MacDonald, Nukutai
7th Liam Rogers, U21 K1 1000m
7th Tiago Chamberlin U21 K1 500m
8th Oliver Hutchinson U16 K1 500m
8th Sam Lees, U21 K1 500m
Mixed Results:
1st Alexis Toy, Jake Botha, U16 K2 200m
1st Oliver Hutchinson, Nukutai, Alexis Toy, Taylor Newman U16 K1 Relay 200m
1st Jake Botha, Matt McKendry, Jacqueline Kennedy, Stella Crossan U18 K1 Relay 200m
2nd Taylor Newman, Nukutai, U16 K2 200m
2nd Stella Crossan, Sam Lees, U21 K2 200m
2nd Jake Botha, Alexis Toy, Matt McKendry, Stella Crossan, Sam Lees, Jacqueline Kennedy Mega Relay 200m
3rd Stella Crossan, Sam Lees, U21 K2 200m
4th Nukutai, Taylor Newman, Oliver Hutchinson, Hannah Webb, Tiago Chamberlin, Claudine Meerlo, Mega Relay 200m
5th Claudine Meerlo, Oliver Hutchinson, U16 K2 200m
5th Zoe Anderson, Liam Rogers, U21 K2 200m
9th Hannah Webb, Oliver MacDonald, U18 K2 200m
Well done to the New Zealand team paddlers, as well as the coaches and team managers/supporters for their performances, attitudes and efforts over the campaign.
