Hatton plans to use disappointment to lift her to world title

It’s not just because she is the defending world champion that New Zealand’s Teneale Hatton wants to do well at this weekend’s 2017 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Hong Kong. She also feels she has a point to prove, after missing New Zealand selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics in controversial circumstances. “I still want to prove that I am a good paddling athlete, and obviously I haven’t been given some opportunities which has been disappointing, but then again, there’s this opportunity right here. “I just have to funnel all my motivation and all my energies into that. I guess I just have to use it on the water.” Adding to the complications for Hatton is she now has a full-time career as a paramedic. It’s meant making the most of her closest 24-hour gym, often pumping the weights at 3am after a busy night saving lives. Initially she had her doubts about this weekend, but since arriving in Hong Kong her confidence has grown. “I’ve had a different build-up to what I have had previously, so I’m sort of umming and aahing about it just because I feel a lot different,” she said. “I’ve also being doing adventure racing, so that’s sort of changed my focus a little bit. My build up started a little later than it normally would, but it sort of worked out well. “It’s been a nice six months of preparing for surf ski. It’s been different, but it’s been fun and exciting as well, having things going on as a nice distraction. “But I’m pretty excited. I went out there today and had a kicking downwind, so now it really feels like a downwind champs coming up.” With so much going on in Hatton’s life since 2015 she hasn’t had much time to think about what’s at stake this weekend. But she acknowledges the pressure of being defending World Champion is there, and that there are a lot of very strong athletes looking to wrest the crown from the New Zealander. “I feel it can sometimes mess with your head a little bit, having so much pressure on you,” she said. “But it’s also...

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