Fernando Ismael Fernandes Pimenta GOIH ComM (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɨɾˈnɐ̃du piˈmẽtɐ], born 13 August 1989) is a Portuguese sprint canoeist who has won multiple medals at the Olympic Games, World and European championships. At club level, he represents Benfica.

Fernando Pimenta
Pimenta being awarded the K-1 1000 m gold medal at the 2016 European Championships
Personal information
Full nameFernando Ismael Fernandes Pimenta
NationalityPortuguese
Born (1989-08-13) 13 August 1989 (age 35)
Ponte de Lima, Portugal
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight81 kg (179 lb)
Websitefernandopimenta.com
Sport
CountryPortugal
SportSprint kayak
ClubBenfica
Coached byHélio Lucas
Medal record
Representing  Portugal
Men's canoe sprint
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London K-2 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo K-1 1000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Račice K-1 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2021 Copenhagen K-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2023 Duisburg K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2010 Poznań K-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2014 Moscow K-4 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2017 Račice K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Copenhagen K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Dartmouth K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Dartmouth K-2 Mix 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2023 Duisburg K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2024 Samarkand K-1 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2024 Samarkand K-1 5000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Milan K-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Szeged K-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Szeged K-1 5000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Dartmouth K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Duisburg K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Samarkand K-4 Mix 500 m
European Games
Silver medal – second place 2015 Baku K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Baku K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2023 Kraków-Małopolska K-1 500 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Belgrade K-4 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow K-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow K-1 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2017 Plovdiv K-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Belgrade K-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich K-1 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2024 Szeged K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Račice K-4 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2017 Plovdiv K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2018 Belgrade K-1 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Poznań K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich K-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2024 Szeged K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Trasona K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Belgrade K-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Brandenburg K-1 5000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Brandenburg K-4 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Račice K-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Belgrade K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Poznań K-1 5000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Munich K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Szeged K-1 1000 m
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Taragona K-1 500 m
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2013 Kazan K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Kazan K-1 1000 m
Men's canoe marathon
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Ponte de Lima K-1 short race
Gold medal – first place 2022 Ponte de Lima K-2
Gold medal – first place 2023 Vejen K-1 short race
Gold medal – first place 2023 Vejen K-2
Gold medal – first place 2024 Metković K-2
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Rome K-1

Career

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Pimenta has competed since the late 2000s. His first major result came at the 2010 World Championships in Poznań, Poland, when he won the K-2 500 metres silver medal together with João Ribeiro. One year later, he contributed to the Portuguese K-4 1000 metres gold medal at the European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and claimed a bronze in the K-1 1000 metres.[1] Together with Emanuel Silva, he won the silver medal in the K-2 1000 metres event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was Portugal's only medal at these Games.[1]

In 2013, Pimenta won multiple medals in international events, namely two silvers (K-1 5000 metres and K-4 1000 metres) at the European Championships, held in Portugal's Montemor-o-Velho racing course,[2] and two golds (K-1 500 and 1000 metres) at the Summer Universiade in Kazan.[3] The following year, he secured his second world championship medal in Moscow, after a runner-up finish in the K-4 1000 metres event.[3] At the European Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, Pimenta finished again in the top-three places of the K-1 5000 and K-4 1000 metres, taking a bronze medal in both events.

Pimenta participated in the inaugural edition of the European Games, in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he became the first Portuguese sprint canoeist to win a medal in this competition, after finishing second in the K-1 1000 metres event; a day later, he added another silver medal in the K-1 5000 metres. At the World Championships in Milan, Pimenta won the K-1 1000 metres bronze medal – his third medal at this level – and secured his country's qualification for this event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[3]

In 2016, Pimenta won his first individual continental titles after taking the K-1 1000 and 5000 metres gold medals at the European Championships in Moscow.[4] At the Olympics, he missed the medal places, finishing 5th and 6th in the K-1 1000 metres and K-4 1000 metres finals, respectively.[5][6] The following year in July, he defended his European K-1 1000 metres title in Plovdiv,[7] but lost the K-1 5000 metres crown to his German rival Max Hoff.[8] However, the following month, Pimenta would beat Hoff in a sprint finish for the K-1 5000 metres gold medal at the World Championships in Račice, to win his first individual world title.[9] On 5 March 2018, he moved from Clube Náutico de Ponte de Lima to S.L. Benfica.[10]

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Pimenta won his heat,[11] earning direct access to the semi-final which he also won with an Olympic Record.[12] During the 3 August 2021 final, Pimenta won the bronze medal with faster time than in the previous round.[13]

Major results

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Olympics

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Year K-1 1000 K-2 200 K-2 1000 K-4 1000
2012 DNS H  
2016 5 6
2020  
2024 6

World championships

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Year K-1 500 K-1 1000 K-1 5000 K-2 500 K-2 1000 K-4 1000 XK-2 500 XK-4 500 K–1 4 × 200
2010   7 4 H
2011 8 7 2 FB
2014 1 FB  
2015   5
2017    
2018    
2019 6 H    
2021    
2022     DNF  
2023      
2024      

Orders

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Emanuel Silva e Fernando Pimenta de prata". SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). SAPO. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  2. ^ Henriques, Sara (16 June 2013). "Medalha de prata para Fernando Pimenta nos Europeus de canoagem". RTP Notícias (in Portuguese). RTP. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Fernando Pimeta" (in Portuguese). Olympic Committee of Portugal. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Fernando Pimenta campeão da Europa de K1 1000 e 5000 metros" (in Portuguese). Portuguese Canoe Federation. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Rio 2016: Fernando Pimenta apenas quinto na final de K1 1000". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 16 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Portugal em sexto na prova de K4 1000". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 20 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Fernando Pimenta revalida título europeu em K1 1.000 metros". Record (in Portuguese). 15 July 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Fernando Pimenta conquista prata no K1 5000 dos Europeus". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 16 July 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Fernando Pimenta sagra-se campeão do mundo em K1 5000 metros nos mundiais de canoagem". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  10. ^ Fernando Pimenta assina pelo Benfica S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese)
  11. ^ "Canoe Sprint – Heat 3 Results". 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
  12. ^ "Canoe Sprint – Semi-final 2 Results". 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
  13. ^ "Canoe Sprint – Final A Results". 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Presidente da República agraciou atletas olímpicos e paralímpicos" (in Portuguese). Olympic Committee of Portugal. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  15. ^ Atletas condecorados com Ordem do Mérito Archived 4 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese)
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