Teneale Hatton leaving NZ Womens Squad

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that of one of our Olympians, Teneale Hatton, is moving on from the NZ Womens Kayak sprint team to focus on her career as a senior Intensive Care Paramedic.

Teneale has had an amazing career as a sprint canoeist, representing New Zealand at the highest level on numerous occasions.
A dual Olympian (2012, 2020), she has achieved incredible results, including two World Championship golds in the K1 1000m and 5000m. Teneale still
holds the current world’s best time in the women’s K1 1000m (3:49.423).
 

After a 6-year hiatus from international sprint competition, Teneale qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and raced the K2 and K4 500m events where she placed 14th and 4th respectively.

“It has been a real privilege for me to be a part of this sport and represent NZ on the international stage for so long.” says Teneale. “ I’ve achieved a lot that I am proud of, and its been great to be a part of such a strong era in womens kayaking in NZ. I am happy to take a step back from the competitive side of the sport to focus on my career and get back into some social participation.”

Outside of sprint racing, Teneale has had huge success in distance racing, winning the U23 Marathon World Championship in 2013 and the 2015 ICF Ocean Racing World Championships, as well as coming third in 2017 and 2019 at Ocean Racing Worlds.

Teneale has been a great ambassador for the sport of kayaking in New Zealand and we are grateful for her contributions and her commitment to excellence.

While we will miss her on the water, we are excited to see her move on to her next adventure as a full-time senior paramedic. Teneale’s dedication to helping others has always been a part of who she is, and we know that she will excel in her new role just as she has in her canoeing career. We want to thank Teneale, for all that she has given to our sport and for being such an inspiration to our many young paddlers and surf lifesavers. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.