Introduction
Caitlin Regal (née Ryan; born 9 February 1992) is a New Zealand canoeist. On 3 August 2021 she won a gold medal alongside Lisa Carrington in the K-2 500 metres event.
Early life
Regal was born on 9 February 1992 in Takapuna, a suburb of North Shore. Aged 5, she joined the Red Beach Surf Life Saving & Squash Club on the Hibiscus Coast north of Auckland, where she later competed in surf competition. By age 14, she had qualified as a life guard. She has won numerous titles at the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships.
Canoeing
At the 2015 Canoe World Cup in Portugal, she won gold in the Women's K-4 500 metres event, and silver in the Women's K-2 500 metres event. She represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics finishing fifth in the Women's K-4 500 metres alongside Jaimee Lovett, Kayla Imrie and Aimee Fisher.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, she once again represented New Zealand. She competed in the Women's K-1 500 metres, Women's K-2 500 metres, and Women's K-4 500 metres.
Personal life
Caitlin Ryan married her partner, Nick Regal, in early 2021.