Olympic champion Lisa Carrington qualified fastest for the semifinals of the K1 200m at the world canoeing championships in Duisburg overnight (NZT).
Carrington, who won the world title in 2011 and Olympic gold in London last year, justified her favouritism for the sprint event, being the only paddler to clock a time under 40 seconds.
She won the opening heat in 39.844 seconds to head home rival Natasa Douchev-Janics of Hungary (40.003) and Teresa Portela of Spain (40.591). The semifinals are later tonight while Carrington's 500m final is early Sunday morning.
K2 500m pair Teneale Hatton and Rachel Dodwell are through to their A final, having finished third in their semifinal in 1 min 45.829. They will start in lane one in the final early on Sunday morning.
The K4 1000m men's crew of Darryl and Jarrod Fitzgerald, Zac Quickenden and Jasper Bats were sixth in their semifinal in 3:04.057, a race won by a strong Belarus quartet in 2:57.741. The Kiwis will contest the B final late on Sunday night.
