Brazil at the double on opening day of ICF Canoe Sprint and Para-Canoe World Championships

Brazil earned two Para-canoe golds on the opening day of the World Championships ©ICF

Brazil earned double gold medal success on the opening day of the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint and Para-Canoe World Championships in Milan.

With the first day of the Championships seeing the Para-canoeists take to the water, Luis Carlos Cardoso Da Silva was the focus of many of the spectators as the Brazilian star was attempting to defend his men’s VL1 200 metres title.

Da Silva was able to show similar form to last year when he claimed gold in Moscow, despite concentrating on his kayak skills ahead of Rio 2016, as he crossed the line in 57.91sec to take the victory.

Poland’s Jakub Tokarz came closest to dethroning the Brazilian, stopping the clock at 58.63, while Hungary’s Robert Suba claimed bronze for the second consecutive year, finishing in 1min 02.91sec.

The second Brazilian triumph of the day came in the men’s VL3 200m event where Caio Ribeiro De Carvalho held off the challenge of Britain’s Jonathan Young in a thrilling sprint to the line to take gold on 50.65.

“When I kicked at the end I looked and realised when I had crossed first it was more than overwhelming,” Carvalho said.

“Last year I lost my title and I was focused on getting my title back, so thank you Brazil.”

Young was just 0.40 seconds adrift of the winner in the silver medal position.

Britain's Emma Wiggs was able to beat her training partner Nikki Paterson to win women's KL2 200m gold ©ICF

Team-mates Emma Wiggs and Nikki Paterson were able to secure more medals for the British team, dominating the women’s KL2 200m event.

As she had done in the British trials, Wiggs was able to get the better of her training partner, defending her title by crossing the line in 53.02, while Paterson finished in 54.52.

Wiggs' victory also ensured qualification for a British boat in the event for Rio 2016, where canoeing is making its debut on the Paralympic programme.

The podium in Milan was completed by Australia’s Susan Seipel, completing the event in a time of 55.61 to clinch bronze.

The United States’ Anja Pierce also claimed a world title on the first day of the Championships, posting a time of 1:02.53 to win the women’s VL3 200m, ahead of Britain’s Frances Bateman and Brazil’s Aline Souza Lopes, who finished in times of 1:03.20 and 1:05.43 respectively.

Pierce’s gold medal came just moments after her compatriot Ann Yoshida had claimed silver in the women’s VL1 200m final, but she ended three seconds adrift of the winner Katarzyna Leskiewicz of Poland, who posted a time of 1:15.29.