Lisa Carrington moved into elite New Zealand Olympic company today when she won a second consecutive gold medal in Rio.

The champion kayak racer clinched the K1 200m gold medal, to follow her victory on the waters of Eton Dorney four years ago.

It gives New Zealand a third gold medal in Rio, to follow rowers Mahe Drysdale in the single scull and Hamish Bond and Eric Murray in the coxless pair.

The 27-year-old had been the firmest of favourites, not having been beaten in the discipline since stunning the kayak world by winning the world title in Szeged, Hungary in 2011.

Even so, this was a case of performance matching expectations, both of her and of herself.

"I didn't want to celebrate before you know what the results are," Carrington said of the moments crossing the line on the Lagoa course.

"Looking up on that board and seeing New Zealand first was amazing. Absolute joy.

"Then it was sinking in more and more, and it's quite emotional."

Carrington won in 39.864 seconds, holding off regular, tough rival Marta Walczykiewicz of Poland, who took second in 40.279s with Azerbaijan paddler Inna Osipenko-Rodomska, silver medallist in London, winning bronze in 40.401s.

Carrington becomes the 13th New Zealander to win consecutive Olympic gold medals and follows fellow paddlers Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald who triumphed in 1984 in Los Angeles and four years later in Seoul.

Source: NZ Herald