Balint Kopasz claimed a surprise win in front of a home crowd ©ICF

Balint Kopasz delighted the home crowd by claiming a surprise gold medal as finals began at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged.

The 20-year-old Hungarian, who failed to make the K1 1,000 metre final at Rio 2016, produced a stunning display to triumph in the event.

He produced a time of 3min 23.921sec to claim the victory, with Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta ending 0.9sec adrift to send as the runner-up.

Spain’s Roi Rodriguez completed the podium in 3:25.782, while his compatriot and Olympic champion Marcus Walz surprisingly ended in ninth.

“I am very happy that I could be stronger than the Olympic medallists,” said Kopasz.

“The weather was very bad but I felt strong today.”

A second Hungarian victory came through Virag Balla in the women’s C1 500m, with her time of 2:05:035 being the fastest ever recorded in the event.

Canada’s Katie Vincent and Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan completed the podium, ending in 2:06.950 and 2:08.504 respectively.

A third Hungarian gold was earned by Dóra Bodonyi, who ended the women’s K1 1000m in 3:50.250.

Australia’s Alyssa Bull finished second in 3:51.511, while Melanie Gebhardt of Germany secured bronze in 3:55.850.

Russia's Elena Aniushina surprisingly beat New Zealand's Lisa Carrington ©Getty Images
Russia's Elena Aniushina surprisingly beat New Zealand's Lisa Carrington ©Getty Images

Double Olympic gold medallist Lisa Carrington of New Zealand was shocked in the women’s K1 500m final.

Russia’s Elena Aniushina would claim the gold in a time of 1:47:755, with Carrington having to settle for silver in 1:47:840.

Hungary’s Tamara Takács rounded off the podium, finishing in 1:49.455.

The Czech Republic’s Martin Fuksa triumphed in the men’s C1 1000m by ending in 3:45.624, edging out Brazil’s Isaquias Queiroz Dos Santos.

Poland’s Tomasz Kaczor finished third in 3:47.208.

The French pairing of Sebastien Jouve and Guillaume Le Floch Decorchemont won the men’s K2 500m in a time of 1:28.125.

They were followed across the line by Hungary’s Róbert Ilyés and Tibor Hufnágel, while Ukraine’s Igor Trunov and Ivan Semykin completed the top three.

Poland’s Vincent Slominski and Mateusz Kaminski triumphed in the men’s C2 1000m final in a time of 3:27:543, with Cuba’s Serquey Torres and Fernando Jorge second in 3:27.958.

Peter Kretschmer and Yul Oeltze of Germany rounded off the podium in 3:28.035.

The World Cup continues tomorrow.