The world's best Paracanoe athltese will go head-to-head at the 2016 Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany from the 17-19 May. Here's a preview for each of the six men's events.

KL1 200m

Brazilian athletes have won five of the six KL1 200m men's events at the world championships.

Fernando Padua won the first four world titles in the men's KL1 event (2010-2013), but failed to continue his winning streak at the last two events. In 2014, he finished fifth and in 2015, he came third.

The only non-Brazilian winner of the KL1 event came at the 2014 world championships in Poznan, as András Rozbora (HUN) won the world title.

These were also the only world championships in which Brazil failed to collect a medal in KL1.

Last year, Luis Cardoso regained the world title for Brazil. He will be aiming to defend his title in Duisburg.

With 5 golds and 1 bronze medal Brazil lead the medal table in this event. Great Britain and Russia are on three medals each. Their last medals came at the 2014 world championships, as Ian Marsden (GBR) finished second and Igor Korobeynikov (RUS) came third.

KL2 200m

Markus Swoboda (AUT) has won all six men's KL2 200m world titles. He is the only athlete to have won all possible world titles in a specific men's event.

Swoboda is the most successful male athlete at Para Canoe world championships. Overall only Jeanette Chippington (GBR) has been more successful claiming 10 gold medals (2012-2015).

Fernando Rufino de Paulo (BRA) has claimed a medal in KL2 at the last two world championships, as he came second in 2014 and third in 2015.

KL3 200m

Germany (2 gold medals) will be looking to equal Romania on a record three world titles in the men's KL3 event.

Iulian Serban (ROU) won the KL3 event at the first three world championships, but has failed to add another world title to his total at the last three world championships.

Serban finished second in 2013 and 2014, but failed to reach the podium in 2014 (fourth place).

Tom Kierey (GER) won the KL3 world title in 2013 and 2015 and aims to become the second athlete to successfully defend his world title in front of a home crowd.

The only other NPC to have won a men's KL3 world title is Ukraine, as Yuriy Kikhayev won the event in 2014.

Italy (3) has collected most medals in KL3 without ever winning the world title: Andrea Testa came third in 2010 and 2012 and finished second in 2011.
 
VL1 200m

Luis Cardoso has won the last two world titles in the men's VL1 event. He already is the only athlete with consecutive victories in this event.  

Cardoso also finished second in this event in 2012. He is the joint-most decorated athlete in VL1 at the world championships, together with Jakub Tokarz (POL) who came in second in 2013 and 2015 and finished third in 2012.

Only five athletes have finished on the podium of VL1 since this event was held for the first time at the 2012 world championships. All of these athletes have recorded multiple podium finishes.  

The other IPCs to reach the podium are Great Britain (Dan Hopwood), Ukraine (Oleksandr Hrechko) and Hungary (Róbert Suba).

VL2 200m

Curtis McGrath (AUS) has won the last two men's VL2 world titles in this event.

Coming into these world championships, these are the only two world titles in men's events for Australia.

Great Britain (4) has claimed most medals in men's VL2 of all IPC's. Their only world title came in 2012, when Nicholas Heald claimed gold.

Besides Australia and Great Britain, the only other IPC to have reached the podium in VL2 on multiple occasions is Spain. Javier Reja won the 2013 world title and finished second in 2015.

Reja, Heald and McGrath are the only athletes with multiple medals in this event (2 each).

VL3 200m

2015 champion Caio Ribeiro De Carvalho (BRA) aims to become the first athlete to win consecutive men's VL3 events at the world championships.

The Brazilian is the only athlete with multiple VL3 world titles, besides 2015 he also won the world title in this event in 2013.  

Athletes from Great Britain have finished on the podium in this event at each of the last four world championships. In 2015, Jonathan Young (GBR) came in second after Ribeiro De Carvalho.

Great Britain has won most medals (4) in VL3 at the world championships, ahead of Brazil, Germany and Tahiti (all 2).  

Tahiti has won a total of three World Championships medals including two in the men's VL3 event. Patrick Viriamu (TAH) finished second in this event in 2012 and 2013. Viriamu also won Tahiti's first medal being victorious in the LTA/TA/A event in 2010.

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