CANOE/KAYAK-SPRINT: Beijing Olympic gold medallist Ken Wallace overcame illness and windy conditions to win the blue riband K1 1000 title at the national canoe and kayak championships in Perth.

Wallace held on despite a last-metre lunge from long-time rival Murray Stewart to snatch the race by less than a metre on Thursday.

Another member of Australia's London gold medal K4 team, Jacob Clear, finished third.

The Gold Coast paddler was in serious doubt for this week's titles after spending last week in bed with a chest infection.

"I didn't feel too good. I'm just stoked to get through that race," Wallace said.

"In the warm-up, I was doing-500 metre efforts and I couldn't even breathe. I just feel a bit weak from the antibiotics and I'm struggling for breath.

"But if Grant Hackett can win medals at the Olympics on one lung, then I might do alright."

Wallace wants to compete in the K1 1000 at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Wallace will be 33 by Rio, but is confident he'd be competitive at what would be his third Olympics.

"For the last six or seven years all I've done is K1 racing. When you're sitting on the start line, all you have to worry about is yourself," he said.

"But we'll take one step at a time."

Wallace's first priority will be the upcoming World Cup events, before returning to the Gold Coast to prepare for another world championships selection trial in June.

In women's racing, 26-year-old Bayswater paddler Alana Nicholls rediscovered some of the form which saw her taste success on the World Cup circuit last year with a hard fought victory in the women’s K1 500 final.

Nicholls produced a fantastic display of sprint canoeing overcoming the red hot Naomi Flood, who herself has started 2013 in a blaze of glory.

Nicholls recorded a time of 2:00.36, 0.92 seconds ahead of Flood, with Sydney Northern Beaches Olympian Jo Brigden-Jones edging Bernadette Wallace for third.

“Just watching the girls in the heats and the semis, everyone’s really lifted a bit this year,” Nicholls said.

“I thought I’d be top three at best. I am probably a few months away from being where I was last year.”

Flood and Wallace teamed up to dominate the women’s K2 500 final, their second K2 National title together in the past four years.

"I think together on the Gold Coast, we train together every day, and it's come together at the right time," Flood said.

"We definitely have lots to work on, but we've improved heaps so it's very promising."

Wallace hasn't raced overseas for several years, but is excited about the possibilities.

"As soon as I get that plane ticket in my hand I'm going to be so happy, I'll probably have to shed a little relief tear," said Wallace.

"This is what we kayak for, to race and be the best in the world. I'm so keen to get overseas."

In the canoeing events, New South Welshman Marius Florian was too strong in the men’s C1 1000 final winning in 4:54.32, more than nine seconds ahead of London Olympic duo Alex Haas and Jake Donaghey of the Brothers Club in Brisbane.

Donaghey and Haas bounced back to claim the national C2 1000 title. The Queensland duo had little trouble winning the title, despite a limited preparation to this year’s event.

“To be honest I’m quite surprised,” Donaghey said.

“For two months work we’re paddling quite well, so we’re looking forward to a big year of training.”

AAP & Canoeing Australia