London's calling top Kiwi paddlers | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

It will be splash and dash on Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) as New Zealand's top canoeist look to impress for this year's London Olympics.

In just two weeks, kayak paddlers from around New Zealand will head to Rotorua for the 2012 CRNZ Canoe Sprint National Championships.

The field is full with competitors of all ages geared up for some exciting racing on the water.

Of particular interest will be the open men's and women's races, with the national squad set to show some fast performances, along with a number of other outstanding up-and-coming athletes in the U23 and Junior categories.

Ben Fouhy, who has been selected as the Olympic qualification nominee for both the K1 200m and the K1 1000m at the Oceania Canoe Sprint Continental Championships in Australia in March, will be competing in both these distances at this regatta. The pairing of Steven Ferguson and Darryl Fitzgerald the Olympic qualification nominees for the K2 have their eyes firmly set on an Olympic campaign and will also be racing both distances in the K2 events as well as stretching out in the K1 events.

World Champion Lisa Carrington should be in fine form at this regatta and will be racing her specialist K1 200m, the K1 500m, as well as teaming up with K2 partner Erin Taylor. Carrington and Taylor directly qualified the K1 and K2 boats at the 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Hungary last year, however they won't be resting on their laurels as they must still perform to achieve Olympic selection.

Teneale Hatton the Olympic qualification nominee for the K1 500m will be looking to show her progress on her pathway to peaking at Oceania and Olympic selection.