The Portuguese canoeing team wrapped up their second day at the U23 and Junior World Championships this Thursday. They now have six crews ready for A-finals, where medals are decided. Four more boats will compete in B-finals, vying for spots between 10th and 18th place. All the action is happening at the High Performance Center in Montemor-o-Velho, Coimbra.
This strong showing builds on Wednesday’s success. Three crews had already secured their spots in medal races. On Thursday, three more Portuguese boats earned the right to chase podium finishes. An equal number of teams qualified for the B-finals.
More finalists could emerge on Friday. Ten national teams are still competing in various semi-finals. Keep an eye on Gustavo Gonçalves and Pedro Casinha in the K2 500 meters. Just a month ago, they became senior European champions in the K4 500 event. They paddled alongside Olympians João Ribeiro and Messias Baptista then.
Looking ahead, Sunday promises more excitement. Five direct finals are scheduled. Some of these races feature athletes from the largest Portuguese team ever at a competition. This squad boasts 59 athletes. Many of them are aiming to gain valuable international experience.
Pedro Casinha, an U23 athlete, was definitely the brightest star on Thursday. He dominated the K1 200-meter race, a distance where he was previously a junior European champion. Later in the day, he teamed up with Gustavo Gonçalves. They clearly won their K2 500 heat. However, that victory didn’t immediately secure a direct spot in an A-final, meaning they still have more racing to do.
Junior Hugo Carvalho also showed his strength in the K1 200 event, finishing second. The U23 K4 500-meter crew, made up of Ricardo Gonçalves, Bruno Brasileiro, and Rafael Oliveira, also nabbed a second-place finish.
The most heartbreaking moment of the day, enough to bring tears, involved the junior K4 500-meter team. Mariana Marinha, Sofia Marques, Lara Martins, and Mercedes Pinheiro missed the final by just three-tenths of a second. Three of these athletes are only 15 years old; they are still cadets.
On Friday, the Portuguese team will appear in five A-finals and four B-finals. Plus, 10 more crews are set to compete in their semi-final races. The World Championships continue until Sunday in Montemor-o-Velho. The event brings together about 1,000 canoeists from 66 different countries.
Friday’s Finals Schedule for Portuguese Canoeists:
A-FINALS
U23:
- 15:45 K4 500 meters: Ricardo Gonçalves/Bruno Brasileiro/Rafael Oliveira/Duarte Cerdeira.
- 16:08 K4 500 meters: Ana Batista/Ana Brito/Ana Rodrigues/Clara Duarte.
- 16:40 K1 200 meters: Pedro Casinha.
Juniors:
- 15:03 K4 500 meters: Ianis Bebiano/Martim Conceição/José Matos/Dinis Martins.
- 16:02 K1 200 meters: Hugo Carvalho.
B-FINALS
U23:
- 14:52 K1 1,000 meters: Maria Gomes.
Juniors:
- 14:06 C1 500 meters: David Macedo.
- 14:24 K4 500 meters: Mariana Marinha/Sofia Marques/Lara Martins/Mercedes Pinheiro.
- 14:45 K1 1,000 meters: Margarida Gomes.