Tauranga kayaker Mike Dawson made a brilliant start to the world cup canoe slalom season, topping qualifiers after the heats in Prague.

Tauranga kayaker Mike Dawson. Photo: canoephotography.com/Balint Vekassy (ICF)

The 28-year-old was the only kayaker to break the 80-second mark on the course, clocking 79.30seconds to finish 2.03seconds clear of his good friend and 2013 world champion, Vavrinec Hradilek, with another hometown Czech paddler Jiri Prskavec third.

Reigning world champion Boris Neveu (France) was fifth-fastest in 81.90 while Olympic champion Daniele Molmenti was eighth-quickest.

Dawson's run was faultless and fast and even though Hradilek picked up a two-second time penalty, a clear run still wouldn't have been good enough to head his Kiwi mate. The semifinals and finals are later tonight, with Dawson hoping to better his previous best finish at a world cup, a ninth in Slovenia last year.

His fellow Olympian Luuka Jones, meanwhile, had a mixed day, dipping out of the semifinals after missing gates in both her heat runs.

Her raw time in her second run, however, would've been good enough for second-fastest qualifier, finishing with a 93.08second run plus 50seconds for the missed gate. World number one Corinna Kuhnle (Austria) posted 90.66seconds in her first run.