Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club athletes kicked off the Sprint World Championships Thursday in Szeged, Hungary.

In the men's one-man canoe (C-1) 1,000 meter, Gainesville's Robert Finlayson placed fifth in both his heat and semifinal to advance to Friday's C Final.

Emily Vinson, also of Gainesville, was part of the women's four-person kayak (K-4) 500 that placed eighth in its heat.
Ben Hefner's C-2, 1,000 team placed eighth.