Lisa Carrington's history-making Rio Olympics has been capped by being named to carry New Zealand's flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday night (Monday NZ Time).

Canoe sprinter Carrington defended her women's K1 200m title from London four years ago and claimed bronze in the women's K1 500m at Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, becoming the first New Zealand women to win multiple medals at a single Olympics.

Three-time Olympic medallist Lisa Carrington.Photo: NZ Olympic Team Twitter.

The 27-year-old from Tauranga joined Barbara Kendall and Valerie Adams as the only New Zealand women to have won three Olympic medals and joined the Evers-Swindell twins, Caroline and Georgina, and Adams as one of only three New Zealand women to have won back-to-back gold medals in the same event.

"Her performances here were outstanding and were delighted to have named Lisa as the flagbearer," says New Zealand chef de mission Rob Waddell.

New Zealand won 18 medals in Rio - four gold, nine silver and five bronze - to better the previous best medal haul of 13 at both London 2012 and Seoul 1988.

The closing ceremony at the Maracana starts at 11am Monday NZT.

-Stuff