Dame Lisa Carrington has made a strong early statement in her world championship selection battle with Aimee Fisher.

With a potential best of three series for the K1 500m spot, the five time Olympic champion took out their first race on Friday afternoon, edging the Hawke’s Bay paddler by just over a boat length.

It was an extremely tight contest until the final 100 metres but Carrington led from point to point, with her ability to hold her pace through the second half key, as she stopped the clock at 1.49.10, with Fisher recording 1.51.40.

Carrington was pushed to the limit by Fisher last year, coming back from a 0-1 deficit to win two consecutive races, and their duel has added a fascinating edge to the 2023 Canoe Sprint national championships at Lake Karapiro.

Though they are clearly two of the best in the world in the discipline, as Fisher showed with her triumph at the 2021 world championships, they are both chasing one spot, with only a single boat per nation allowed under current International Canoe Federation rules.

After 42 preceding races on Friday morning, this was the one that everyone came to see and spectators rushed to the best viewing areas before the start.

There was a short delay – due to a problem with the starting system – which only added to the tension for both competitors.

When the race finally got underway, Carrington was swift out of the blocks, a fraction ahead of Fisher.

The two top class athletes, racing side by side in lanes six and five respectively, soon put a massive margin on the rest of the field, ahead by almost six lengths before the halfway point.

Fisher kept it close – after 200m it was hard to call – but Carrington had a slight advantage at the 250m mark.

Fisher has a propensity for a big third quarter – which she has demonstrated in the past – but the 33-year-old Carrington held her off.

The Ohope product then found something extra in the final 100m to pull away for her biggest margin of the contest.

Danielle McKenzie, who has recently switched from ocean ski racing, was third, eight seconds behind Fisher.

The duo will contest the national championship K1 500m final on Saturday morning (9:10am), which doubles as the second leg of the selection series.

If Fisher can turn around Friday’s result, then a deciding third race will be held on Monday (9:20am).