The canoe sprint World Championships in Milan saw Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta battle hard, but ultimately finish just off the podium in the K1 500 meters. The dedicated athlete took fourth place in Sunday’s final, a result he admitted was frustrating. Yet, there was little time to dwell on it, with another demanding race, the K1 5,000 meters, still to come.
Pimenta spoke with raw honesty after the race. “I gave everything I had, and then some,” he shared, explaining he poured “more than 100%” into the water. “Unfortunately, that 100% wasn’t enough today to beat the three rivals ahead of me.” He called fourth place “the one nobody wants,” a position “right at the door of the medals.”
Starting from lane nine, Pimenta clocked a time of 1 minute, 39.71 seconds. He finished 1.28 seconds behind the gold medalist, Czech Republic’s Josef Dostal, who is the current Olympic champion in K1 1,000 meters. Dostal edged out Hungary’s Adam Varga, who has won bronze at Tokyo2020 and Paris2020 events, by a mere nine hundredths of a second. Spain’s Alex Granieri secured the bronze medal, 0.62 seconds behind Dostal. Pimenta had previously earned a bronze medal in this very distance two years ago.
Despite the near-miss, Pimenta held a philosophical view. “That’s how sports go,” he reflected, finding peace in his effort. “My conscience is clear because I gave my best in a distance that isn’t my main specialty. I just couldn’t be faster than the three guys who finished in front.”
Pimenta always aims for “more and better.” He firmly believes his performance and attitude “honored the Portuguese people.” He hopes to dedicate another podium finish to them in the final World Championships challenge: the K1 5,000 meters. He won a silver medal in this longer distance two years ago.
Looking ahead to the 5,000-meter race, Pimenta outlined the challenge. “It’s a race that needs very careful managing,” he explained. “Some specialists came here just for this single event.” He noted that handling the “portages,” where athletes must carry their canoes, will be particularly tricky. These sections “take me out of my comfort zone,” he admitted, but promised to “try my best for a good result.”
Pimenta has already secured one medal in Milan, a bronze in the Olympic category K1 1,000 meters. His success isn’t isolated, as Portugal has added two more impressive podium finishes. João Ribeiro and Messias Baptista claimed silver in the K2 500 meters. This duo, along with newcomers Gustavo Gonçalves and Pedro Casinha, were crowned World Champions in the K4 500 meters on Friday, marking a memorable championship for the Portuguese team.
