Finn Butcher (born 17 March 1995) is a New Zealand slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2012.[3][4] He is the inaugural Olympic champion in kayak cross in 2024.
Butcher studied industrial design at the University of Otago for two years. He took a year off from university to concentrate on training, travelling, and competition. He moved to Auckland in 2016. He then enrolled for and graduated from a bachelor of sport and exercise via distance study at Massey University.[9][10]
Canoeing
Butcher first tried paddling aged nine.[5] His early canoeing experience is from the Kawarau River.[11] His mentor was Alan "Sarge" Hoffman, who died in 2022.[12][13] Once he had moved to Auckland, he flatted with fellow canoeist Callum Gilbert so that they could maximise their training time at the then-new Vector Wero Whitewater Park in Manukau.[14]
Butcher went to the Tokyo Olympics as a travelling reserve for the K-1 event. At the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, he gained quota places for New Zealand in K-1 and kayak cross by finishing 13th and 11th, respectively.[12] He was selected to fill these quota places and competed in slalom K-1 and kayak cross. In the K-1, he missed getting into the finals. In the kayak cross, he became the inaugural Olympic champion when he unexpectedly beat the three-time world champion Joe Clarke.[11][17]