Men race as individuals, pairs and quads over 200 m, 500 m and 1000 m in both Canoe (Canadian) (C) and Kayak (K) events, giving a total of 18 gold medals.

Hungary's medal haul included victories in all nine women's finals, Natasa Janics and Katalin Kovács winning six titles each.

In the men's races, Mexican Everardo Cristóbal shocked the top Europeans with victory in the C-1 1000 m final, giving Mexico their first-ever world championship gold medal.

Hungarian György Kolonics, who holds the (men's) record for paddlers currently in competition, won the fourteenth gold medal of his career in the C-2 1000 m final.

Other perennial favourites such as Andreas Dittmer, Eirik Verås Larsen and Adam van Koeverden however were unable to repeat previous successes.