Kazakhstan topped the medal table at the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships in Tokyo, Japan as they secured quota places for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The event doubled up as a qualification tournament for the Olympics as nations sealed their spots at Paris 2024.
It was staged at the Sea Forest Waterway – the Canoe Sprint venue used during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sergey Yemelyanov and Timur Khaidarov overcame Japan’s Masato Hashimoto and Ryo Naganuma to earn a men’s C2 500 Olympic quota for Kazakhstan.
There was further delight for Kazakhstan in the men’s K2 500, with Bekarys Ramatulla and Sergii Tokarnytskyi beating teams from South Korea and China in the final.
Kazakhstan’s other double-boat success to qualify for Paris 2024 came in the women’s C2 500 courtesy of Mariya Brovkova and Rufina Iskakova’s victory.
Further golds were won in the non-Olympic events of the mixed C2 500, women’s K1 200 and men’s C1 200 as Kazakhstan finished top of the overall standings.
Shimeng Yu and Yule Chen sealed the women’s K2 500 crown to win an Olympic quota in the event for the People's Republic of China.
Uzbekistan also enjoyed plenty of success in Tokyo, earning three single-boat quota spots.
Among those included the women’s C1 200 thanks to Nilufar Zokirova’s triumph, while the other quota in the event went to Vietnam after Thi Huong Nguyen finished second.
Shakhriyor Makhkamov won a quota for Uzbekistan with his victory in the men’s K1 1000 as Iran won the second slot after Ali Aghamirzaeijenaghrad got on the podium.
Uzbekistan also sealed a ticket for Paris 2024 in the women’s K1 500 along with Singapore as Ekaterina Shubina and Jiexian Stephenie Chen earned medals.
Mohammad Nabi Rezaei won a quota for Iran courtesy of his gold in the men’s C1 1000 as Kuan-Chieh Lai clinched silver for the other slot for Chinese Taipei.
All the quotas secured at the Asian Canoe Sprint qualifier are subject to confirmation from the respective National Olympic Committee.
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