The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently appointed Portuguese canoeist Fernando Pimenta as one of the ambassadors for the "Believe in Sport" project.
Pimenta, who was awarded a silver medal in 2012, will work with the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) in an initiative that aims to promote athletes' awareness of the risks of manipulating results and competitions.
"Nowadays, it is increasingly important to be aware that this is a reality and that we have to ban people who harm sport. We need a clean sport, without cheating, with sporting truth. It is a pleasure for me to represent Portuguese athletes with the IOC and to work with the COP to help my colleagues", the canoeist said regarding his appointment.
The "Believe in Sport" project was launched in 2018 and aims to protect and promote the integrity of athletes. It is carried out in partnership with international federations of the various modalities and with the national Olympic Committees, as well as with athletes and coaches.
The Canoeist's journey
In September 2020, Fernando Pimenta won the 100th international medal of his career, when he won the gold in the K1 5000 competition at the World Cup of Speed in Szeged, in Hungary.
The athlete was granted immediate entry into the history of Portuguese sport on his debut at the Olympic Games, winning the silver medal at the K2 1000 event in London, in 2012, on a vessel together with Emanuel Silva.
Four years later, in Rio 2016, the Portuguese canoeist raced solo and finished 5th in the K1 1000 final.
Fernando Pimenta's international journey is filled with medals conquest in all the main competitions, from the Canoeing World Cup to the European Championship, World Championship, European Games and Universiade, in which he won, in Kazan 2013, two gold medals in the K1 1000 and K1 500 events.
In 2019, Team Portugal's canoeist was a bronze medalist at the World Cup in Szeged, Hungary, both in K1 5000 and K1 1000, which also served the purpose of qualifying Pimenta for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, meanwhile postponed to 2021. One year earlier, he had won two gold medals in the competition in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal.
At the 2019 Minsk European Games, Fernando Pimenta went twice to the podium to receive the silver medals won in the K1 1000 and K1 5000 races, thus becoming the most medaled Portuguese athlete in the European Games, after the two-second places achieved in Baku 2015, also in K1 1000 and K1 5000.
Portugal: a destination with river sports for everyone
Portugal has many canoeing clubs and centers throughout the country and an excellent high-performance canoeing centre in Montemor-o-Velho. The country has ideal conditions for the practice of the sport, also extending to leisure and recreational canoeing tours on our rivers.
The High-Performance Center of Montemor-o-Velho, designed to accommodate the modalities of canoeing, swimming, rowing and triathlon, falls within the scope of the development of high sports performance at a national level. Benefiting from the unique conditions of Baixo Mondego, unique infrastructures were built that provide an excellent place for training and competing at an international level. This quality standard is a primary focus for attracting athletes and supporters, promoting the region as a sporting tourist destination throughout the year.
The waterplane is 2000 meters long, 135 meters wide and 3,5 meters deep. Additionally, there is a return track, a heating and cooling channel, and a cycle path along the water planes, as well as a technical route to support training, hangars, changing rooms, gym, sauna and multipurpose rooms.
Visit Portugal and get to know the country actively
Portugal offers the kayak and canoe "aficionados", be it for recreational or professional sports, with a wide range of offers for sports tours and training camps organised by companies such as Move Sports, with a track record of in excess of 2000 events.
Either you're training for the next major competition or just looking for a non-competitive practice, going for health, well-being and adventure, now is the time to explore your next sports tour! Ask us about our plans and come to Portugal to discover our Tejo and Zêzere rivers and their impressive landscapes, having a fun physical activity while you're at it!
