Brabants lays down impressive marker

Brabants, who burst through to the final of his favoured K1 1000m on Monday, overhauled Russia's Anton Ryakhov and Stjepan Janic, of Croatia, in the closing stages.

"The 500m is always going to be a tough one," said the 2000 bronze medal winner. "You've got to hold your head together and not push too hard."

Lucy Wainwright reached the semi-finals of the women's K1 500m by finishing third in her heat.