By Gary Anderson

September 1 - Olympic champions Franziska Weber and Tina Duietze became world champions in DuisburgIt was a day of dominance for Germany on the Duisburg waters as home athletes secured four world titles at the 2013 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Sprint World Championships today.

In the short sprints, the German pairs of Franziska Weber and Tina Dietze, who won gold at last year's Olympic Games, and Robert Nuck and Stefan Holtz bagged world titles in the women's K2 200 metres and the men's C2 200m respectively.

The men's K1 500m race saw Tom Liebscher power his boat home ahead of Denmark's René Holten Poulsen and Arnaud Hybois of France, while compatriot Sebastian Brendel secured the C1 5,000m world crown, with Attila Vajda of Hungary and Canada's Mark Oldershaw coming in second and third.

"I feel great it was my first World Championship title and I'm happy that I managed it here in Duisburg," said Brendel, who won C1 1,000m gold at London 2012.

"The crowd was amazing and they pushed me all the way."

Brendel and Vajda's boats touched at one point during the race as they each looked to get the best line out of the top bend.

"It did [touch] but it was no problem," said the 25-year-old German.

"I know that it was not the idea of Attila.

"I think I have a different turn and so that's ok, it's 5,000m."

Home favourite Sebastian Brendel triumphed in the C1 5,000m final at the World Championships in DuisburgHome favourite Sebastian Brendel triumphed in the C1 5,000m final at the World Championships in Duisburg
























Russia ran the hosts close on the day in terms of gold medals, bagging three top spots.

Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko saw off the challenge of British duo Jon Schofield and Liam Heath in the men's K2 200m, while Viktor Melantyev and Ivan Shtyl matched their compatriots in the C2 500m final.

The third World Championship crown for Russian came from the quartet of Vitaly Yurchenko, Vasily Pogreban, Anton Vasilev and Oleg Zhestkov in the men's K4 1,000m.

Elsewhere, there was double delight for New Zealand as Lisa Carrington became the women's K1 200m class world champion, while compatriot Teneale Hatton proved she was top of the pile in the K1 5,000m final.

"I was real surprised at my start," said 23-year-old Hatton.

"I had a really good start.

"I just thought there is a target on my back now and everyone is going to be chasing me the whole way.

"I only kind of relaxed a bit, maybe, in the last two turns when I had a quick peek to see how much leeway I had because I was getting a bit tired by that stage."

Sweden's Peter Östrom was very impressive as he came home first ahead of a field that included British London 2012 champion Ed McKeever, and silver and bronze medallists Saúl Craviotto of Spain and Canada's Mark de Jonge, in the K1 200m sprint, while Brazilian youngster Isaquias Queiroz Dos Santos blitzed the field in the men's C1 500m.

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