Portugal's Fernando Pimenta recorded the fastest times in the men's K1 500 metre and 1000m semi-finals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup ©Getty Images

Portugal's Fernando Pimenta recorded the fastest times in the men's K1 500 metre and 1000m semi-finals at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint World Cup in Poznań.

A three-time European champion in the K1 1000m distance, Pimenta clocked 3mins 35.233secs today to finish as the fastest athlete across all three semi-finals. 

Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Josef Dostal also impressed in the same division, the Czech canoeist achieving 3:35.388.

The third-fastest finisher was Belarus's Aleh Yurenia in 3:35.793.

It was a successful day for Pimenta after he booked his place in the men's K1 500m in 1:39.302.

Belarus's Volha Khudzenka achieved the fastest time in the heats of the women's K1 500m at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup ©ICF
Belarus's Volha Khudzenka achieved the fastest time in the heats of the women's K1 500m at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup ©ICF

South Africa's Chrisjan Coetzee and Germany's Tom Liebscher also recorded quick times. 

Coetzee finished in 1:39.542, while Liebscher managed 1:39.932.

Belarusian canoeists impressed in the women's K1 500m heats, with Volha Khudzenka attaining the fastest time of 1:48.393.

Maryna Litvinchuk triumphed in her heat with 1:51.872.

The competition continues tomorrow with the finals in both the men and women's events.