Not often, if ever, does Dame Lisa Carrington look across the lanes to check the progress of her rivals. She never really has to.
Usually it's straight down the barrel of her lane, doing her business which, more often than not, leads to success.
But yesterday in the K1 500 heats she took numerous peeks to her left to keep tabs on her rivals, checking if she was doing enough to win her race and qualify automatically for the semifinals.
Realistically, it was a fait accompli, as it was for compatriot Aimee Fisher, who looked just as comfortable in winning her opening K1 appearance this week.
But Carrington has a huge few days ahead and conserving as much energy as possible could be a decisive factor if she's to beat Fisher again.
Don't forget, Fisher's beaten Carrington in the last two public races they've had at World Cup regattas in Europe.
They've been close. Crikey they've been close.
It's more than likely to be close again on Saturday night (NZT) and it'd be a brave human to confidently predict how that race is going to go - not forgetting there are other paddlers, particularly Hungary's Tamara Csipes, who will push the Kiwi duo all the way.
And herein lies the reason why Carrington needs to take every opportunity she can to save as much energy as possible.
Tonight (NZT), Carrington is back at Vaires-sur-Marne in the same boat as Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan, trying to create history by winning New Zealand's first female K4 medal at an Olympic Games.
She and Hoskin then do it all again in the K2 the next day, having to race both the semi-finals and final (all going to plan). Then it's finally time for the K1 "showdown" (Fisher's word, not mine).
So when the Dame was peeking across the lanes today, there was a reason. She was doing it to make sure she won the heat, but also that she won the heat without having to exert as much as she likely will have to over the next few days.
It was tactical, it was crucial - just like everything she does in her paddling career.
"It's playing it really strategically and being as efficient as possible," Carrington said in our chat after the race. "Knowing what I need to do to get to that top two, so I don't have to do the quarter-final."
Fisher did near enough exactly the same thing in her heat. There wasn't much looking around the lanes, but there was concerted concentration and a great performance in an Olympics that means so much. Missing out on Tokyo, opting out of the high performance squad and taking the long, tough road back to this point.
She looked primed, she looked ready and she paddled as if she means business, as she has done all year.
By contrast to Carrington's schedule, she gets two days off before the K1 "showdown" (remember, her word not mine). The nerves will no doubt rattle around for a woman who is very open about her emotions.
But that time off her feet could also prove crucial to what will be an enormous day.
Carrington had the fastest heats time, Fisher the second fastest.
Both have saved some energy along the way.
Two slightly different routes to the one same goal. It's still shaping up as a potentially history-making day this weekend in Paris.
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