Para canoeists shape-up for finals at Worlds

The second day of action (18 May) at the 2016 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Para Canoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, provided some exceptional results over 200m with times continuing to tumble as the sport shapes up for its introduction into the Paralympic Games later this year in Rio.

Great Britain’s Ian Marsden, twice a world silver medallist, won his semifinal in the men’s KL1 and qualified for Thursday’s finals, along with Brazil’s multiple world champion Fernando Fernandes.

Last season’s champion, Luis Carlos Cardoso Da Silva of Brazil will be one to beat in the men’s KL1 and continue Brazil’s dominance in the event; Brazil have won at five out of the six World Championships.

China's Maosan Xie was the fastest in the women’s KL1 on Wednesday, but she will have to overcome a strong line-up that includes British multiple world champion Jeanette Chippington and home favourite Edina Muller.

Italy’s Federico Mancarella won his heat in the men’s KL2. However, Slovakia’s Dejan Fabcic and Ukraine’s Maykola Syniuk were both quicker in the second semifinal with just one-hundredth of a second separating the pair at the finish line.

In the finals, they will face Austria’s Markus Mendy Swoboda, who has won every KL2 world title since the first Championships in 2010.

Spain’s Javier Reja also secured his position in Thursday’s men’s KL2 finals.

China's Wang Daquin qualified strongly in the women’s KL2 semifinal, but will need to step up a level for the final with world champions Emma Wiggs of Great Britain and Canada’s Christine Gauthier in the mix.

The men’s KL3 is expected to be a tight final with world champions in Germany’s Tom Kierey and Brazil’s Caio Carvalho De Ribeiro, along with a host of athletes all setting times around the 40-second mark on their way to the final.

In the women’s KL3, Brazil's Christina Mari Santilli overhauled the USA’s Kelly Allen by the slimmest of margins, but both did enough to secure a final position.

Races will be live streamed.

More information on the 2016 ICF Para Canoe World Championships can be found on the ICF’s website and event website, as well as on Twitter using the hashtag #ICFParaCanoe.