Fuksa has set his sights on winning title in the men’s 500m canoe single (C1) event, having already dominated the 1000m distance at the Olympics. At 31 years old, Fuksa excelled in his heat, finishing in 1:52.280, a remarkable four seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Germany’s Conrad-Robin Scheibner. Reflecting on his race, Fuksa remarked that “It’s a bit different from Paris. Fourteen days have passed since the best race of my career, so it’s not easy to get back on the track. But I love this sport, and I won this heat, so I’ll be in Sunday’s final.”

The return to competitive intensity hasn’t been without its challenges for Fuksa. He admitted that training post-Olympics was difficult, largely due to media obligations. “It wasn’t easy to train after the Olympics because there were so many things to do with the press. But I love this sport, so I wanted to come to Uzbekistan after the Olympics. I’m here, I’m ready, and we’ll see what happens. I like the 500 metres, so I want another medal on Sunday. Every medal is important to me; I’m a bit of a collector, so I’ll do my best,” he added.

Dostal also faced a demanding schedule on the opening day in Samarkand. He first secured a place in the final of the mixed 500m double kayak event, teaming up with his fiancée, Anezka Paloudova. Following this, the newly crowned Olympic champion in the men’s K1 1000m looked very strong in the 500m single event, eventually outperforming neutral athlete Uladzislau Kravets in the semi-final. Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta will also be competing for gold after delivering an outstanding performance in the same event.

Reflecting on his own experience, Pimenta noted that “I think I did a very good race in the heat and the semi-final, and now it’s time to rest and prepare for the mixed K4. Every time I finish the Olympics, whether I win a medal or not, I want to come here, fight for good results, and give my best.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan arrived in Samarkand after a successful Olympic campaign, where she secured silver in the women’s C2 500m in Paris. Luzan won her heat in the women’s C1 500m and is aiming for her second title in the event after being crowned champion in 2022.

She finished ahead of Chile’s María José Mailliard, the 2021 titleholder, and expressed her satisfaction with her performance. “I feel good. The goal was to go directly to the final, so I’m happy to achieve that. Everyone has been preparing hard for this race since it’s the World Championships. 

"I respect all my competitors, and I’m happy to win this heat against such strong athletes. This is one of my favourite races and distances, but I don’t want to say too much; I want to show what I can do. The Olympics are a different level in sport, and when you compete there, you fall in love with canoeing all over again. I have three Olympic medals, but I still don’t have gold, so I keep competing and will keep showing up.”

Earlier in the day, Hungary’s Emese Kohalmi and Norway’s Maria Virik led their respective heats in the women’s K1 1000m. In the women’s C1 1000m, China’s Xina Jiang and Hungary’s Giada Bragato impressed, advancing to the final as heat winners.

The men’s events saw Germany’s Felix Daniel Frank and Martin Hiller, along with Sweden’s Joakim Lindberg and Martin Nathell, record the fastest times in the K2 1000m heats. In the men’s C2 1000m, neutral athletes Zakhar Petrov and Ivan Dmitriev, together with Hungary’s Balazs Adolf and Daniel Fejes, topped their respective heats.

In the women’s K2 200m, Portugal’s Teresa Portela and Francisca Laia, along with neutral athletes Volha Khudzenka and Maryna Litvinchuk, advanced to the final after leading their rounds. Moldova’s Mihai Chihaia and Maria Olarasu claimed in the mixed C2 500m, with neutral athletes Alexey Korovashkov and Ekaterina Shliapnikova winning the subsequent heat. The first medals will be decided today, 24 August.