Canoeist Fernando Pimenta believes the three athletes who reached the K1 1,000-meter final from his heat will claim all the podium spots on Saturday at the World Championships in Milan. It’s a bold prediction, but Pimenta has good reason for his confidence, having navigated one of the toughest semifinal races in recent memory.
“There’s a very good chance it will happen,” the defending world champion told Lusa reporters. “It wouldn’t be the first, second, or third time. These are very experienced athletes in these kinds of competitions. We’re talking about two Olympic champions right there.” Indeed, his semifinal felt more like an Olympic final dress rehearsal, showcasing incredible talent.
Pimenta, who won gold two years ago in Germany and clinched the European title in June, finished second in his semi. He was just behind Hungary’s Balint Kopasz, the Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020. Finishing third in that same heat was Czech paddler Josef Dostal, who earned gold at Paris 2024. That’s a serious lineup for a semifinal race.
“I’m the only one who hasn’t won an Olympic gold medal,” Pimenta admitted with a touch of humor. “But that’s all in the past. What matters now is to keep doing what I’ve been doing, staying calm, and putting on great shows for everyone watching.” The intensity of the race was so high that even European runner-up Martin Nathell from Sweden missed out on a final spot.
Pimenta will now focus on the final race on Saturday morning, just hours before the K1 1,000-meter medal event, scheduled for 1:56 PM Lisbon time. It’s a tight turnaround, demanding both physical and mental resilience.
“It will be another day at the office, very challenging,” Pimenta stated firmly. “Not just physically, but psychologically too. I’ll need to stay focused for a long time, concentrating on my tasks. But I’ve achieved great things before with even less rest between races. So, I believe I can continue to write history.”
Adaptive Canoeing Update
Meanwhile, in adaptive canoeing, Norberto Mourão made a strong statement. He qualified for the VL2 200-meter final by winning his semifinal. Mourão expressed his satisfaction and high motivation, noting that he had actually expected to qualify earlier, directly from the heats.
“Motivation is really high, we’ll see about expectations,” the current European champion shared. “The level is incredibly high; this is the first year of the cycle, and many things are changing. Few athletes manage to stay at the very top. Of course, I’ve been working to achieve the best possible result, that’s what I aim for. I’m going to give my all to represent Portugal in the best way.” The World Championships in Milan have brought together around 800 canoeists from 73 countries, highlighting the global scale of the competition.