Fernando Pimenta claims second gold in dominant 5,000m sprint victory

Fernando Pimenta claimed his second gold medal of the 2026 European Canoe Sprint Championships on Sunday, dominating the gruelling K1 5,000-metre final in Montemor-o-Velho to cap a flawless campaign in his home nation. The 34-year-old Portuguese paddler, racing on the final day of the event, crossed the line ahead of Germany’s Max Rendschmidt and Spain’s Roi Rodríguez to secure the continent’s top honours in the discipline’s longest race. Pimenta’s victory follows his earlier triumph in the K1 1,000 metres, making him the most decorated athlete of the championships so far. “It’s the best possible way to finish,” he told reporters after the race. “The 5,000 is a different beast—it’s about endurance, strategy, and mental strength. Today, everything came together.”

The double gold for Pimenta underscores Portugal’s emergence as a sprint canoeing powerhouse, with the Montemor-o-Velho course—hosting its third consecutive European Championships—proving a familiar and fast track for the home favourite. His performance in the 5,000-metre final was particularly commanding, with a winning margin of over ten seconds, a margin that reflected both his conditioning and tactical acumen. “Fernando has been exceptional this season,” said national team coach José Rodrigues. “His ability to peak at the right moment is what sets him apart.” The victory also marks Pimenta’s fourth continental title in the K1 5,000, extending a career that has spanned over a decade at the highest level.

Elsewhere on the final day, Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan added to her already legendary status at the championships by claiming her fourth gold of the week in the women’s C2 500 metres, partnering Anastasiia Rybachok to a decisive victory. The duo’s triumph in the sprint discipline further solidified Ukraine’s dominance in canoe sprint at these championships, with Luzan now the most decorated athlete of the 2026 edition.

In a contrasting discipline, Czech kayakcross specialist Tereza Kneblová delivered a masterclass in Augsburg, Germany, where she claimed gold in the World Cup’s kayakcross final just hours after securing silver in the time trial. The 23-year-old, who had already won the Prague leg of the World Cup last year, produced a dominant display in the Olympic-style final, navigating the chaotic, obstacle-laden course with precision. “It was a perfect day,” Kneblová said. “The silver in the morning gave me the motivation to push even harder in the final.” Her victory marks her second World Cup win in kayakcross this season, following her triumph in Tacen earlier this year.

With the European Championships concluding in Portugal and the World Cup circuit shifting to Augsburg, the canoeing world now turns its attention to the next phase of the season, where Pimenta, Luzan, and Kneblová have each staked their claim as athletes to watch.