Takaku, bronze medallist at last year's World Championships, scored 470 points in her two runs in the heats of the women's K1 kayak competition.

The Japanese athlete laid down a total of 300 points in her first run and 170 in her second to book her place in the semi-finals, scheduled to take place tomorrow.

The top 10 kayakers all progressed through to the next round.

Poland's Zofia Tula was second behind Takaku as she finished 20 points adrift of the Japanese competitor.

Tula outscored Takaku in her first run with a total of 336.37 points but could only manage 113.33 in her second attempt on the course.

France's Marlene Devillez, who claimed silver at the World Championships in in San Juan in Argentina, did enough for third place.

Devillez's performance yielded a score of 330, comfortably behind the two front-runners.

The event in Sort, due to continue tomorrow and concludes on Wednesday (July 5), is the first Canoe Freestyle World Cup of the season.

The second begins at the same venue immediately after the opener.