Mr Poulsen shot to fame when he won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic as a 19-year-old, winning gold at the European Championships in the same year. He went on to win three medals at the World Championships, including one gold in 2014, and 12 medals at the European Championships.   

A qualified carpenter, Mr Poulsen said: "If you want to win, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to find 101 per cent. And that’s what motivates me, finding that little bit extra.”

The 26-year-old said he is aiming for victory when the Baku 2015 Canoe Sprint competition starts on 14 June: "It’s the first ever European Games and I’m going to try and win. I’m a perfectionist, it’s in my DNA.”

Canoe Sprint will feature three days of competition at Mingachevir, starting from June 14. With 15 medals up for grabs, the Canoe Sprint competition will feature 350 athletes from across Europe.

Tickets can be purchased directly from 11 conveniently located ticket outlets around Baku, including Park Bulvar, 28 Mall, and Metro Park Baku, and online at www.baku2015.com/tickets. 

Baku 2015 is the first ever European Games, an exciting and innovative multi-sport event for the continent which will take place from 12 – 28 June 2015.

There will be a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.