“It’s a year of experiences.” In the run-up to the Halifax World Championships, Fernando Pimenta and his coach, Hélio Lucas, had not exactly lowered their expectations of medals but they explained that the end of 2022 would be to try other races and distances taking into account the beginning of the cycle that will end with that great goal that the athlete from Ponte de Lima still has of winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games after the silver in London in K2 1000 with Emanuel Silva and the bronze in K1 1000 in Tokyo. It was also in this context that he arrived in Munich, exchanging that experience in the mixed K2 500 with Teresa Portela for the K2 1000 with the young João Duarte and keeping the K1 500, K1 1000 and K1 5000.
The first of these Europeans, 119th at the international level: Fernando Pimenta wins the bronze in K1 500
The K2 1000 turned out to be the hardest nut to crack, with the passage to the semifinals to qualify for the decisive race that takes place this Sunday. Shortly after, this Friday afternoon, Pimenta won the bronze medal in the K1 500, repeating the World Championship result, now behind the German Jacob Schopf and the Hungarian Adam Varga. Following the most anticipated final of K1 1,000, his great speciality.
A photo finish decision: Fernando Pimenta wins the second medal in two hours and is runner-up in the K1 1000 world
Another great duel was prepared between the Portuguese and the Hungarian Balint Kopasz, perhaps one of the most interesting in today’s canoeing, seen in the Olympic, World and European Games. The Limiano has already won, the Magyar has already won, the show is always guaranteed, with that nuance of Pimenta taking the risk of doing more tests than usual with the impact it then has on income. And the fact that the last World Cups were decided in final photo it was more of an incentive for the final.
He already had the silver, it was bronze but he ended up hitting the paddle because he wanted more. And that’s what makes Pimenta a golden super athlete.
Fernando Pimenta owned the competition from the start, taking the lead in 250m and 500m, he still had the ability to respond to Kopasz’s attack from 600m, turning the last point in 750m in first position but he couldn’t resist Hungarian’s Strongest Final Tip, finishing in second position as it had happened in the World Cup. The Portuguese finished with a time of 3.31.964, behind the Hungarian Olympic champion (3.29.898) and ahead of Belgian Artuur Peters (3.32.401). German Jakob Thordsen missed out on the podium again in the K1 1000, finishing the competition with a time of 3.34.754.
SILVER MEDAL ????
Fernando Pimenta got the 2nd place in the K1 1000 meters race of the European Canoeing Championship.
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It should be noted that this was Fernando Pimenta’s 24th European medal, the ninth alone at the distance of K1 1,000: he won gold in 2016, 2017 and 2018, silver in 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and bronze in 2011 and 2015. In total, the canoeist with the most titles in history has 120 podium finishes in international competitions.
Source: Observadora
