There’s nothing quite like bouncing back after a tough race. Portuguese canoeist Fernando Pimenta knows that feeling well. He just snagged the world title in the 3.6-kilometer ‘short race’ at the World Marathon Championships in Gyor, Hungary, and he’s “very happy” about it.
Pimenta recently felt disappointed. He finished fourth in the K1 500 meters at the Speed World Championships in Milan. That race usually sees him on the podium. But he kept his chin up. He later told the international federation, “This is very special.” He also shared that he “felt good” during the race today. “I fought hard for that medal,” he said, “and I’m so glad it’s gold.”
He powered through the ‘short race’ final in 13 minutes, 37.11 seconds. His fellow countryman, José Ramalho, also performed strongly, grabbing third place in the same event with a time of 13 minutes, 47.38 seconds. The silver medal went to Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, who finished in 13 minutes, 38.03 seconds.
This win adds to Pimenta’s impressive career. The two-time Olympic medalist also earned a bronze in August. That was for the K1 1,000 meters final at the Speed World Championships in Milan.
The Portuguese team showed great skill in Hungary. Pimenta and Ramalho are a strong duo. They repeated their good results from the European Marathons in June. They will team up again in the K2 event. There, they plan to defend their world titles from 2022, 2023, and 2024. Ramalho will also take on the long-distance race by himself.
Other Portuguese athletes also made their mark. Ricardo Coelho finished sixth in the C1 ‘short race’ final, with a time of 16 minutes, 22.20 seconds. Rui Lacerda came in ninth, finishing in 16 minutes, 34.07 seconds. Spain’s Jaime Duro won that C1 final in 15 minutes, 22.87 seconds. For the junior K1 final, Yann Vilaça placed eighth with 15 minutes, 2.12 seconds. Edgar Cruz finished 19th in 16 minutes, 19.82 seconds. Britain’s William Short won the junior event in 14 minutes, 28.93 seconds.
