After winning gold in London in 2012 and Rio four years later, Carrington could have been excused if her prowess had faded in the five years following.
But the seven-time world champion in the shortest distance remained untouchable, trouncing the world's elite in an Olympic-best time of 38.12 seconds – finishing almost a kayak-length clear of Spain's Teresa Portela with Denmark’s Emma Jorgensen third.
She then teamed up with Caitlin Regal and smashed the world’s best time when winning gold in the K2 500 final in 1:35.785, with Poland taking silver and Hungary bronze.
Only one woman has won four consecutive individual Summer Olympic golds – Japanese wrestler Kaori Icho, who triumphed in the 63kg class in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and then changed weight class and won gold in the 58kg category in Rio in 2016.