Olympic silver medallist Sideris Tasiadis of Germany was the quickest qualifier in the men's C1 event ©Getty images

Olympic silver medallist Sideris Tasiadis of Germany was the quickest qualifier in the men's C1 event as the Canoe Slalom European Championships began in Prague.

Tasiadis, also a four-time World Championships runner-up, clocked a time of 91.44sec on the opening day of the event.

The 28-year-old is hoping to clinch the European individual title for the first time since 2012.

Defending champion Alexander Slafkovsky of Slovakia is also among the field and he just about did enough to progress to the semi-finals.

Slafkovsky could only manage eighth in the opening C1 heat, finishing the course in 95.61 to squeeze through to the next round.

Britain's David Florence, a three-time world champion, Slovenia's Benjamin Savsek and Poland's Grzegorz Hedwig also qualified.

Austria’s Corinna Kuhnle was among the qualifiers in the women's K1 event ©Getty Images
Austria’s Corinna Kuhnle was among the qualifiers in the women's K1 event ©Getty Images

Austria’s Corinna Kuhnle, who is aiming to retain her women's K1 title in the Czech capital, was second-fastest in the heats today.

Kuhnle finished 2.34 seconds behind Britain's Fiona Pennie, who was the pick of the athletes in the event with a time of 93.49.

Ricarda Funk, a member of the German side which claimed the team crown at the 2017 World Championships in Pau, booked her place in the next phase of the competition as she was fourth.

It is the second time the Championships have been organised in Czech Republic, following the event in the town of Roudnice in 1998.

Promotional events have taken place in the build-up to the Championships, with a traditional event called Paddleride held, along with a “riverside cross” event which connects canoeing and biathlon.