Uladizislau Kravets dashed Fernando Pimenta’s hopes of a home victory and Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan earned two gold medals at the Paddle Europe Sprint Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal.
Pimenta appeared to be closing in on men’s kayak single 1000m gold as he established a sizeable lead only to be reeled in by the AIN-B paddler.
A stunning finish from Kravets saw him overhaul Pimenta to secure the title in 3:24.311.
Hungary’s Balint Kopasz also finished strongly to take silver in 3:25.011 as Pimenta crossed in 3:25.011 for bronze.
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There was another absorbing battle in the men’s canoe single 1000m final as Olympic champion Martin Fuksa of Czechia and AIN-A paddler Zakhar Petrev went head-to-head for the title.
It was a thrilling race with Fuksa emerging victorious in 3:41.797, beating Petrov who crossed in 3:42.182 for silver.
The bronze went to Greece’s Stefanos Dimopoulos who registered 3:43.687 to edge out Italy’s Gabriele Casadei.
Hungary got the better of reigning Olympic champions Germany to capture the men’s kayak four 500m crown.
Bence Nadas, Bence Fodor, Levente Kurucz and Sandor Totka powered to victory in 1:18.500.
There was a dead heat for silver as Germany and Spain both clocked 1:18.630, while home favourites Portugal missed out on a medal by 0.02.
Spain added European gold to their world title with an impressive victory in the women’s K4 500m final.
Sara Ouzande, Lucia Val, Daniela Garcia and Barbara Pardo delivered gold for Spain in 1:31.576.
Poland clinched silver in 1:32.336, while the bronze went to AIN-B in 1:32.651.
In the non-Olympic events, Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan picked up two gold medals in one day.
The first of those came in the women’s C1 200m as she came out on top in 43.710.
Italy’s Olympia Della Giustina finished in 45.439 for silver and Poland’s Dorota Borowska secured bronze in 45.504.
Luzan then teamed up with Anastasiia Rybachok to secure women’s canoe double 200m gold for Ukraine in 43.399.
Spain’s Angels Moreno and Viktoria Yarchevska, the 2025 European champions, had to settle for silver in 44.579, while Poland’s Borowska and Milena Mackiewicz earned bronze in 44.914.
Denmark’s Frederikke Moercke captured the women’s K1 200m crown in 39.345, overcoming defending champion Anna Lucz of Hungary.
The Dane was the only paddler to dip under 40 seconds as Lucz came second in 40.329 and Slovenia’s Anja Apollonio sealed bronze in 40.434.
The men’s C1 200m title was captured by AIN-A paddler Sergey Svinarev by 0.075.
Spain’s Pablo Grana was bidding for back-to-back European crowns but was beaten to the line by Svinarev who crossed in 38.279.
Grana picked up silver in 38.354, while AIN-B paddler Aliaksandr Zubok finished in 38.769 for bronze.
Hungary’s Emese Kohalmi struck gold in the women’s K1 1000m after posting a time of 3:56.731.
Sweden’s Melina Andersson earned silver in 3:57.681, while Italy’s Lucrezia Zironi claimed silver in 3:59.511.
Czechia’s world champion Josef Dostal received men’s K1 500m after clocking 1:38.029.
Germany’s Jacob Schopf collected silver in 1:39.124 and Hungary’s Adam Varga rounded off the podium with bronze in 1:38.324.
The final race of the day saw Spain emerge victorious in the mixed canoe four 500m.
Jacome and Yarchevska linked up with Manuel Fontan and Diego Dominguez to win the title in 1:38.098.
Germany earned silver in 1:39.158, while Hungary secured bronze in 1:39.753.
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