Canoe Racing New Zealand are defending a situation which has drawn the ire of some fans at the Paris Olympics.

The crew finished significantly later than all the other boats - coming in dead last by 45.31 seconds in the quarterfinal stage.

Canoe Racing NZ chair Greg Adlam says the team did what they could in a difficult boat.

"It's one thing for kayakers to get into a canoe boat and to paddle it, it's another one to actually lay down power on the course. That's the phase we're at now."

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