Portuguese canoeist Fernando Pimenta shared a simple secret this week. He feels “happy.” This feeling, he believes, is the best way to start defending his K1 1,000 meters world title. The big event is happening in Milan and runs until Sunday.
Pimenta, who is 36, explained his current mindset. “My current form is in happy mode,” he said. He remembers times when his emotions weren’t as strong. Back then, his body had to work harder to make up for it. “Now, I’m good physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” he noted. For him, this balance is the most important thing at this point in his career.
Pimenta dominated his race from start to finish. This was even though his heat didn’t offer a direct spot in the final. On Friday, he will aim to reach yet another final in his long career. He wants to defend the gold medal he won in 2023 in Duisburg, Germany.
Winning medals isn’t everything for the veteran athlete. “More than winning medals or being world champion, it’s the feeling of finishing the race,” he explained. He wants to say, “it felt good, I liked doing this race.” He felt happy with every paddle stroke. “I think that, at this stage of my career, this is one of the most important things I can have,” he stated. “It’s about having fun, competing, and then the results will surely appear.” He also added with a laugh, “But I’ll also say: I’m broken. My lungs are burning…”
Pimenta posted a time of 3 minutes, 17.93 seconds. This was the fastest time across all six heats. However, none of the competitors pushed too hard. These heats didn’t offer direct qualification to the final. At these World Championships, Pimenta also aims to defend his K1 5,000 meters silver and K1 500 meters bronze medals.
Other Portuguese athletes also competed. Norberto Mourão was in the adapted VL2 class. He had three spots available for the final. But he felt a “tremendous fatigue at the end” of his race. He finished fourth, less than a second shy of direct qualification. “The first race is always tricky; you need to unlock it,” Mourão said. He had hoped to finish third. “When I have to go through the semifinals, I end up improving, so, I’m calm,” he stated. “My goals remain intact, and I’m aiming for solid spots,” added the European champion.
Alex Santos also finished fourth in his KL1 race. He too will need to compete in a semifinal. He sees this as a good chance. It’s an “opportunity to improve adaptation to the track and thus be stronger in the final,” he noted.
The World Championships in Milan bring together a massive group of athletes. About 800 canoeists from 73 countries are competing there.