Péter Kiss, the Youngest Paralympic Champion Kayaker

Hungary’s world and two-time European champion Péter Pál Kiss won the gold medal in the K1 200m at the Tokyo Paralympics, becoming the youngest Paralympic champion in kayaking.

He was the favorite to win in the KL1 category, the one for the most severely injured athletes. Accordingly, he paddled very convincingly in Thursday's heats, winning his own heat by two buoy lines to set the fastest time.

In Friday's final, which was held in cloudy weather, almost windless and at times with drizzle at the Sea Forest Waterway, his biggest rivals were Carlos Luis Cardoso da Silva of Brazil and Rémy Boulle of France.

Péter Kiss came off the line in great style, quickly gaining a visible lead and never tiring, finishing in 45.447 seconds, a buoy ahead of Silva (48.031) in second place. Bouille finished third (48.917).

The 18-year-old kayaker is the youngest Paralympic champion in the sport, according to the International Paralympic Federation. Kiss, who at the age of eight was paralyzed from the waist down due to Guillain Barré syndrome, won the Hungarian delegation's 14th medal, the seventh gold at this Paralympics.