Paddle Boarding - SUP World Tour - Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, London, Britian - September 17, 2022 Connor Baxter of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men's sprint final Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Paddle boarding's APP World Tour returned to London for the third time on Saturday as American Connor Baxter won the men's sprint race and compatriot April Zilg clinched the women's event.

Competitors faced off in 250m sprints under sunny skies at the Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre and world champion Baxter swept the heats to reach the final where he edged out Japanese Rai Taguchi to extend his overall lead.

Zilg held off Spain's Esperenza Barreras for her second straight victory while Caroline Kuntzel of Denmark came home third.

Paddle boarding involves participants standing on a board propelling themselves forward with a paddle - also known as stand-up paddling (SUP) - and has grown in popularity in recent years.

The sport evolved from surfing in Hawaii in the 1960s with both sprinting and paddle surfing forming part of the APP's World Tour since 2012.

The APP World Tour is working with the International Surfing Federation to make paddle boarding an Olympic event following the sport's debut at the Pan American Games in Lima three years ago.

The London SUP Open concludes on Sunday with a 15.5km distance race down the River Thames before the athletes travel to Busan, South Korea next week for the third leg of the season.

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Andy Murray said he was hoping for a "special" final chance to share a court with Roger Federer at next week's Laver Cup in London and possibly team up to play doubles before the Swiss great retires from the sport.

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