Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta might not be as famous and as well known as Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, but the two-time Olympic medalistis surely closing in.
33-year-old Pimenta, who won bronze in the K1 1000 at the Tokyo Olympics to add to the K2 1000 silver he won in London in 2012, continued his incredible domestic canoe sprint record last week by winning an incredible 15th straight K1 5000 Portuguese title.
Pimenta has won every K1 5000 title in Portugal since 2009, the year he also set his fastest time (18:23.73). Last weekend’s victory came in the time of 20:34.73.
The man who finished second behind Pimenta last week, Emanuel Silva, was the last person other than Pimenta to win the title – back in 2008. Only five athletes have ever held the title of Portugal’s K1 5000 metre champion.
Watch two minute highlights of the race here
In other notable performances, Teresa Portela won her eight K1 women’s title, her third in a row, and Ukraine’s multiple canoe marathon world champion, Liudmyla Babak, won the women’s C1 title. The Ukranian has been competing for the Portuguese Kayak Clube Castores do Arade from the Algarve region.
Babak was expected to be challenged by Portugal’s junior world champion, Beatriz Fernandes, but the teenager was forced to withdraw after two laps because of ill health.
Pic by Photoduarte
