The 28-year-old clocked a perfect-run time of 1min 28.55sec at the famous Troja venue, edging out team-mate and Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Jiri Prskavec who posted 1:29.38, including a two-second penalty. 

"It means a lot because I have raced here quite a few times and I have never been on the podium," Prindis, who was the fastest qualifier for the final and the last athlete on the course, said.

"I believe that I should be on the podium and I was hoping that one day I would be on top.

"I raced a very good qualification, semi-final and final, so I think I deserve to be on the podium."

Germany’s Sebastian Schubert took the bronze medal in a time of 1:31.44.

There was further home success in the men's C2 event as Jonas Kaspar and Marek Sindler, the eighth-place finishers at Rio 2016, dominated the early rounds and came out on top with a time of 1:44.66.

Olympic bronze medallists Gauthier Klauss and Matthieu Péché of France were the runners-up in 1:47.42, while compatriots Pierre Picco and Hugo Biso took bronze in 1:49.93.

"We had a dream run," Sindler said.

"We won all our races - qualification, semi-final and now the final, it's like a dream.

"I think we really enjoyed the home atmosphere.

"The crowd was really loud and very nice here, so I don't think it made us nervous.

"I think it was the advantage of the hometown.

"We were very well prepared and everything just clicked together today."

Olympic gold medal-winning cousins Ladislav Škantár and Peter Škantár of Slovakia surprisingly failed to make the final.

European champion Kimberley Woods led a British one-two in the women’s C1 final, clocking a time of 1:51.15 to beat closest challenger Mallory Franklin by a margin of 3.98 seconds.

Franklin, who picked up six seconds worth of penalties, finished ahead of Czech Republic’s Monika Jancova - the bronze medallist in 1:57.56.

"I kept it calm, kept the boat running and I’m glad that I came out with a clean run, which was very difficult on this course," Woods said.

"2017 is going really well, winning the Europeans and coming away with a win.

"I just hope I can keep the good form and move onto kayak as well.

"I was fortunate to go to Rio to have a watch and it made me more hungry.

"So to start a new Olympic cycle with two wins is really good.

"I want to be one of the girls who moves the benchmarks for C1."

Multiple world champion Jessica Fox of Australia was among those to miss out on the final.

Action in Prague is scheduled to conclude tomorrow.