Rio 2016: Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull go from rivals at home to kayaking teammates

SURF lifesaving rivals Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull will become Olympic kayak teammates for Rio after pulling off a second upset over their more touted rivals to earn a place at the first Games together.

Australian kayakers Alyssa Bull (right) and Alyce Burnett. Pic supplied by Tom Collings

SURF lifesaving rivals Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull will become Olympic kayak teammates for Rio after pulling off a second upset over their more touted rivals to earn a place at the first Games together.

A stunned Burnett, 23, and Bull, 20, have paddled to their second victory in a fortnight over the highly fancied pair of Jo Brigden-Jones and Naomi Flood to win their Olympic selection trials in the K2 500

“I cannot believe it. I keep telling myself it’s true but I just can’t quite take it in yet,’’ Burnett said.

Alyssa Bull (left) and Alyce Burnett are heading to Rio as teammates in the kayaking. Pic supplied by Tom Collings

“We are young, so we were really thinking about Tokyo but we just never wrote ourselves off.

“Jo and Naomi were always the ones to beat but we were always hot on their trail.

“Winning the first trials did give us confidence.’’

The pair compete for rival surf lifesaving clubs in Queensland but formed their kayaking partnership two years ago.

Brigden-Jones must win the K1 500m in Thursday to secure herself a spot on the flight to Rio.

Perth’s Steve Bird has also made the team which is still to be ratified by the Australian Olympic Committee with his victory in the K1 200.

It will be Bird’s second Olympics after he contested the K2 200 in London.

“There’s a huge amount of relief, there’s been such an exhilarating build-up,” Bird said.

On Wednesday Ken Wallace, Murray Stewart, Jacob Clear, and Lachlan Tame also qualified for Rio at the National trials in Perth.

Originally published as Rio 2016: Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull go from rivals at home to kayaking teammates