After winning yesterday’s women’s C1 1000 title, Luzan topped the podium again when she won women’s C1 500m gold today.

Luzan clocked a winning time of 2min 8.08sec to take the crown as Germany’s Lisa Jahn came second with 2:08.69 and Poland’s Katarzyna Szperkiewicz bagged bronze with 2:11.94.

It was an emotional victory for Luzan who has not been home since Russia’s invasion of her country in February.

"It is so difficult for us to train and compete when we know what is happening in our country," Luzan said.

"My family is in a safe place at the moment, but every day is different and there are always missiles and rockets, so you can never be sure.

"We believe we will win, not just on the sport field but the war as well.

"Every day we think about people who are being killed, including children as well who shouldn’t be in this war."

Ukraine also claimed gold in the men’s K2 500m - a new event on the Olympic programme for Paris 2024 - with Oleh Kukharyk and Ihor Trunov coming out on top.

Kukharyk and Trunov finished in 1:28.30 to take top spot as Australians Jean Westhuyzen and Thomas Green came second with 1:28.70 and Portugal’s Joao Ribeiro and Messias Baptista sealed bronze with 1:28.85.

"My grandfather, my mother, my sister, they are all in the war area," Trunov said.

"A rocket bombed my town.

"My parents are hiding under their house.

"The railway station was bombed. Many people, many children died.

"Please help Ukraine."

Martin Fuksa of the Czech Republic also earned his second gold of the weekend in front of his home crown C1 1000m.

The Czech canoeist clocked 3:47.17 to take the title, beating Cătălin Chirilă of Romania and reigning world champion Balázs Adolf  who finished with 3:48.45 and 3:49.56 respectively.

Poland’s Karolina Naja and Anna Pulawska, silver medallists at Tokyo 2020, emerged victorious from the women’s K2 500m.

They clocked 1:39.17 to seal top spot, with Germany’s Paulina Paszek and Jule Hake coming second with 1:39.69 and New Zealand’s Alicia Hoskin and Lisa Carrington third with 1:40.01.

Victory for Naja and Pulawska came just 24 hours after they were part of the Polish team that captured the women’s K4 500m title.

There was gold for Cuba’s Yarisleidis Duboys in the women’s C1 200m after crossing the finish line in 45.08.

Canada’s Lin Wenjun and Canada’s Katie Vincent both sealed silver after finishing with a time of 45.19.

In non-Olympic events, Slovenia’s Anja Osterman added K1 200m gold to the K1 500m silver she won yesterday, Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta won his second gold for the weekend, teaming up with Joao Duarte in the men’s K2 1000m, while Australia’s Alyssa Bull secured the women’s K1 1000m title.

Germany’s three-time Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Brendel won the C2 1000m crown alongside Tim Hecker, while China’s Mengya Sun also won a second gold, this time alongside Hao Liu in the mixed C2 500m.

The mixed K2 500m gold went to Germany’s Max Rendschmidt and Pauline Jagsch.

The Chinese team claimed their third gold of the weekend when Li Li led from start to finish to take the women’s C1 5000m title, while Italy’s Carlo Tacchini broke through for a long overdue win in the men’s C1 5,000m.

Spain's Begona Lazkano outsprinted her teammate Miriam Vega in the women's K1 5000m final, with Denmark's Thorbjorn Rask claiming a last-gasp win over Portugal's Pimenta in the men's K1 5,000m.