Italian athlete Andrea Di Liberto was crowned the world champion in the 200-meter race, finishing in 34.78 seconds. Petter Menning from Sweden was just 0.02 seconds behind him, with Akmens a mere 0.16 seconds short of the coveted gold medal position. You can see the race in the YouTube video below.
Canoe sprint takes place on a flatwater course and races are contested by two types of boat, canoe (C) and kayak (K). In a canoe, the paddler competes in a striding position using a single-blade paddle, in contrast to the double-bladed paddle used in a sitting position in a kayak. At international level the discipline is competed at four distances from 200m to 5,000m, both individually and in teams of up to four.
Akmens also represented Latvia at the Tokyo Olympics, claiming eighth place in the same event.
Latvian pair Aldis Vilde and Aleksejs Rumjancevs finished in eighth place in the 500 meters distance, while Madara Aldiņa took ninth place in the B final of the 500-meter women's competition.