All the individual medallists from 2016 will be among the more than 200 athletes from nearly 40 nations that have arrived in Brazil for one of the International Canoe Federation’s key competitions.

It’s the first major international event at the Olympic venue since the Games.

Frenchman Gargaud Chanut won the men’s C1, Spain’s Chourraut the women’s K1, and Britain’s Clarke the men’s K1 at the event in the Brazilian city.

The trio have shown only glimpses of their gold medal-winning form since 2016, but will be keen to put on a good performance at the venue where they achieved their crowning moment.

"It’s really strange, lining up in the blocks again and feeling once again the vibe of the course,” Clarke said.

"You just have to remind yourself what it takes to be good on this course.

"The hairs do stand up on your arms – it does make you feel good.”

Australia’s Jessica Fox, coming off a record-breaking season, Slovakia’s Alexander Slafkovsky and Czech Jiri Prskavec head to Rio as the form athletes this year.

Fox is a three-time C1 world champion and has won the K1 crown twice, including last year in Pau in France.

She is unbeaten in C1 this season, and won three of the five K1 World Cups on her way to becoming the first athlete to win both World Cup titles.

Slafkovsky triumphed in the men’s overall C1 World Cup, and Prskavec took the men’s K1.

Fox and Prskavec were both bronze medallists in Rio in 2016.

The 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships begin tomorrow with the team events, and run through until Sunday (September 30).