Canoe Racing New Zealand is defending a pragmatic decision in their Olympic qualification process.

Kayakers Max Brown and Grant Clancy have been forced to compete in the kneel-down canoeing C2 500 - a boat which was qualified so they could compete in the sit-down K4 500 event.

The pair have finished 45 seconds behind the winner of their Paris Games quarter-final, because they didn't want to expend too much energy.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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