Mike Dawson narrowly missed qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in canoe slalom but made no mistake four years later, finishing 15th in London. Rio 2016 was Mike's second Olympic Games appearance.

The K1 paddler from Tauranga was the fastest qualifier at last year's world championships - although a semifinal mistake dropped him to final placing of 28th, and has a clutch of final appearances at World Cup level over the last decade.

Although he has been New Zealand's best canoe slalomer for more than a decade, the 29-year-old is more internationally renowned for his extreme kayak feats, having won a slew of titles in some of the biggest rapids on the planet, and through his expedition paddling.