Rotorua kayakers paddle into semifinals in Prague

Waiariki Academy of Sport kayakers Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson have competed well at the 2013 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championship in Prague. Photo / File

Rotorua-based kayaker Mike Dawson has finished 30th at the 2013 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in the Czech Republic, while Olympic teammate Luuka Jones has continued her good form.

Dawson scraped through into the MK1 semifinals in 37th, three places inside the cut-off.

He clocked a clear descent of the artificial course at the Prague Canoeing Centre in Troja to record 107.16in the semi.

He was 6.71sec outside qualifying for the final, with German Hannes Aigner qualifying fastest in 95.42sec.

Meanwhile, fellow Waiariki Academy of Sport paddler Jones has continued her outstanding recent form leading towards the WK1 final.

Jones has based herself in Prague for the European summer and her familiarity with the Troja course shone through, qualifying for last night's semifinals in 13th spot.

Her semifinal run was set to start about 8pm last night with the top 10 paddlers qualifying for the final at 10pm.

Fresh from her best-ever world cup performance, also a 13th-placing in Slovenia, Jones said she liked the Prague course.

"I hated this course pretty much for the first month I was here but now that I'm used to it I love it. It's one of my favourites," Jones explained.

"I feel really good. I just wanted to feel comfortable out on the course like I did in training and that happened."

Without a penalty touch, she would have qualified fifth, just 3.5 seconds off the pace set by England's Elizabeth Neave.

Young C1 (canoe) paddler Ben Gibb, who trains at Okere Falls, finished 52nd in the heats and didn't progress further.