Para-canoe World Championships: Britain's Laura Sugar retains KL3 crown

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Sugar represented Wales at hockey before switching to Parasport

Britain's Laura Sugar maintained her dominance to make it a hat-trick of world titles at the Para-canoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany.

The reigning world and Paralympic KL3 champion came into Sunday's decider as strong favourite.

She dominated the final, crossing the line in 45.418 seconds, a second and a half clear of France's Nelia Barbosa.

Jack Eyers took silver in the men's KL3 event with both GB athletes securing Paralympic boat quota spots.

"It's incredible, you plan to try and go as fast as you can but you don't know what else everyone is going to do," said Sugar, who switched to canoeing from athletics in 2018.

"I didn't think about the title, I just wanted to come out here and show everyone what I've been doing in training.

"Every year is a fresh slate, just because you've won before doesn't mean you're entitled to win again so for me, it's about doing my best and going my fastest so I'm delighted that that came with a world title today."

Eyers recovered from a broken hand in April to take his place on the team and get the better of team-mate Stu Wood, who finished fifth.