Paddler DAWSON (NZL) finds that mum knows best

RIO DE JANEIRO - New Zealand paddler Mike DAWSON is hoping his second Olympic Games will be less of a family affair than his first, when his father protested his mother's awarding of a time penalty for touching a gate.

"At London 2012 I had quite a unique experience as my mum was a judge and she happened to give me a two-second penalty," DAWSON said after training at the Whitewater Stadium in Deodoro X-Park.

"I touched the pole with the back of my life jacket so I didn't think I had actually touched it. My dad, Les, who was my team manager and coach, protested that touch so it was quite a family affair going on there."

A video review supported the original call made on the Lee Valley course by his mother, Kay DAWSON (NZL).

"As always, my mum was on to it and she was right," said the 29-year-old, who competes in the K1.

"It was a bit of a laughing matter for a few months for sure but it's great having my parents involved and for them to share my Olympic experience."

Kay DAWSON will not be among the judges at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, when her son will bid to improve on his 15th place finish from his first Olympic Games at London 2012 despite the testing time he has had since.

"The last four years of my Olympic campaign have been a bit hit and miss," said Dawson, who is an ambassador for the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

"I broke my back in Chile a couple of years ago which set me back a little bit, but I have got a great support and medical team who got me back on the water and racing. It just gives you a sense of how quickly things can change and how vulnerable you are."

To help fund his Olympic journey, DAWSON published a cookery book in early 2016 called Eat Like the Locals, written around his culinary experiences in many of the countries he has visited for his sport.

"To win a medal here would be the ultimate, especially if it was one of those fast runs that feels so good and you just get to the bottom and you know you've done something special on the water," he said.

The canoe slalom competition begins on 7 August.