We use cookies to improve our site and your experience. By continuing to browse our site you accept our cookie policy
We use cookies to improve our site and your experience. By continuing to browse our site you accept our cookie policy
13.6.2026
The first European title of the championships went to Uladzislau Kravets, Individual Neutral Athlete, who produced one of the biggest surprises of the competition. In the men's Olympic K1 1000m event, he defeated all the pre-race favourites. Home star and defending European champion Fernando Pimenta, cheered on by a passionate home crowd, finished third, 1.590 seconds behind the winner. Reigning world champion Balint Kopasz of Hungary took second place, 0.700 seconds behind Kravets, while Paris Olympic champion Josef Dostal of Czechia finished fourth.
Czechia had a reason to celebrate in the very next final. Canoeist Martin Fuksa once again demonstrated his class, becoming European champion for the 14th time in his career, excluding his gold medal from the Krakow-Malopolska European Games. Fuksa secured victory by finishing 0.385 seconds ahead of Zakhar Petrov, Individual Neutral Athlete, while Greece's Stefanos Dimopoulos took bronze, 1.890 seconds behind the winner, writing a special chapter in Greek canoe sprint history.
Following his victory, Fuksa said: "It wasn't hard today. I like these conditions and the venue here in Portugal. The crowd was really good and we had a nice race. I am happy I won another gold medal at European Championships. I am really happy with the win in C1 1000, but I have two more finals coming, I need to prepare and I am looking forward to it and to do my best like today."
Czechia claimed another medal on the third day of competition thanks to Josef Dostal in the K1 500m event. The race brought considerable uncertainty after Poland's Alex Borucki, who crossed the finish line first, was initially disqualified, elevating Dostal to the top position. However, following a lengthy review process, protests and official procedures, the original results were reinstated. Alex Borucki was confirmed as European champion, Josef Dostal finished second, and Germany's Jacob Schopf took bronze. Defending champion Adam Varga (HUN) finished fourth.
The women's and men's K4 500m events are always among the highlights of any championship, and both finals lived up to expectations. Spain's Sara Ouzande, Lucia Val, Daniela Garcia and Barbara Pardo paddled to the first-ever European title for Spanish women's K4 500. They were joined on the podium by Poland and Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN-B). The men's race was even more dramatic. Hungary's Bence Nadas, Bence Fodor, Levente Kurucz and Sandor Totka claimed victory by just 0.130 seconds. Spain and Germany crossed the finish line with exactly the same time, sharing second place. The Portuguese crew, winners of this event last year, finished fourth, only 0.150 seconds behind the winners.
It was a highly successful day for Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan, who first won the European title in the C1 200m event and later added another gold in the C2 200m alongside Anastasia Rybachok. The reigning world champion over 200 metres dominated the C1 final, finishing more than one and a half seconds ahead of her rivals. Italy's Olympia della Giustina took silver, while defending champion Dorota Borowska of Poland claimed bronze. In the women's C2 200m event, last year's European champions Angels Moreno and Viktoria Yarchevska of Spain won silver, while Poland's Milena Mackiewicz and Dorota Borowska secured bronze.
Denmark also celebrated a gold medal thanks to Frederikke Moercke, who won the women's K1 200m final ahead of two medallists from last year's European Championships. Defending champion Anna Lucz of Hungary finished second, while Slovenia's Anja Osterman Apollonio earned the bronze medal.
Sergez Svinarev (AIN-A) became European champion in the C1 200m event after a thrillingly close final. Spain's Pablo Grana, the defending champion, finished only 0.075 seconds behind. Aliaksandr Zubok (AIN-B) secured the bronze medal.
Hungary continued its dominance in the women's K1 1000m event, although this time it was Emese Kohalmi who stood on top of the podium, succeeding Zsoka Cikos, who won both European and world titles last year. Sweden's Melina Andersson claimed silver in Portugal, while Italy's Lucrezia Zironi took bronze.
The final race of the day was the mixed C4 500m event, where Spain's Antia Jacome, Viktoria Yarchevska, Manuel Fontan and Diego Dominguez triumphed in another closely contested battle. Germany finished second, just 0.060 seconds behind, while Hungary secured the bronze medal.
The championships will conclude on Sunday with 12 more medal events.
© 2021 ECA
