Canoe Sprint World Championships

Taufatofua races at Canoe Sprint World Champs

The 35-year-old announced in May he had taken up kayaking in a bid to become the first person this century to compete in three different Olympic sports.

Taufatofua has already represented his country in taekwondo and cross-country skiing but he admits his bid to qualify for Tokyo in a new discipline is not going well.

Competing in heat five of the K1 200m sprint, Taufatofua, who has been struggling just to stay upright in his kayak, said he registered a personal best of 58.19 seconds. It was still the slowest time of all the heats.

Tonga's Pita Taufatofua praying for progress before kayaking debut

The 35-year-old announced in May he had taken up kayaking in a bid to become the first person this century to compete in three different Olympic sports.

He first made global headlines with a shirtless entrance as Tonga's flagbearer at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, a feat he repeated at last year's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

But, after representing his country in taekwondo and cross-country skiing, he admits his bid to qualify for Tokyo in a new discipline is not going well.