Fernando Pimenta and Jose Ramalho maintained their grip on the men’s kayak double crown on an historic final day for Portugal at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary.
The Portuguese pair withstood pressure from Denmark and Hungary to win the title for a fourth successive year.
It capped a memorable competition for Pimenta as he added to his men’s kayak single short distance title achieved on Thursday and provided another golden moment for 43-year-old Ramalho.
History was also made in the men’s canoe double as Ricardo Coelho and Rui Lacerda secured Portugal’s first-ever world title in the event.
Spain’s Tania Fernandez and Tania Alvarez were the other gold-medal winners as they returned to the top of the podium in the women’s K2.
Click here for live startlists and results from Gyor
Ever since 2022, Pimenta and Ramalho have reigned supreme in the men’s K2 – and they refused to relinquish top spot.
Mads Brandt Pedersen, the gold medallist in yesterday’s men’s K1 long distance, teamed up with U23 champion Philip Knudsen to form a strong Danish boat, while Hungarians Adrian Boros and Tamas Erdelyi were boosted by the home crowd.
The race came down to the final portage as the three boats jostled for the lead.
Boros and Erdelyi entered the water first after running along the bank to try to gain the upperhand only for Ramalho and Pimenta to outpace them on the water.
Ramalho and Pimenta powered across the finish line in 1:54:00.62 to take the title as they equalled the record of Spain’s Manuel Busto Fernandez and Oier Aizpurua Aranzadi who won four in a row from 2004 to 2007.
Pedersen and Knudsen finished in 1:54:01.89 for silver and Boros and Erdelyi clinched bronze in 1:54:03.85.
“I am so happy to have this moment with Ramalho and write more history for Portuguese canoeing,” said Pimenta.
“To win four world titles in a row is really good.
“We have a really good strategy. Ramalho knows everything about the Canoe Marathon and really studies the course which is good.
“As soon as we sat in the boat, we had a good feeling and after some years we keep fighting for results.”
Earlier in the day, Coelho and Lacerda etched their names in Portuguese marathon history with gold in the men’s C2 as they added to their European crown.
Coelho and Lacerda came up against two teams featuring paddlers that had already won gold in Gyor.
Jaime Duro, the champion in the canoe single short race, teamed up with Manuel Garrido for Spain, while Poland’s Mateusz Zuchora, who triumphed in the C1 long distance, partnered Mateusz Borgiel as they aimed to defend their title.
But it was the Portuguese pair that prevailed. Coelho and Lacerda kept their nose in front before triumphing in 1:35:45.63.
Duro and Garrido crossed in 1:36:34.96 for silver, with Zuchora and Borgiel bagging bronze in 1:37:32.65.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Coelho.
“It’s the first time we have won this.
“This year we won the European Championships and now the World Championships.
“We have had to make more sacrifices to get this.
“It was a very tough race, our opponents are always so strong.
“When we had the chance, we had to go for it.
“I don’t have the words to describe this moment.
“It’s taken a lot of work and a lot of kilometres together to achieve this.
“It’s an indescribable moment.”
Spain’s Fernandez and Alvarez emerged victorious after getting the better of a stern Hungarian challenge.
It was a gripping battle as Hungary’s Panna Sinko and Panna Csepe and compatriots Zsofia Szerafin and Vanda Kiszli put pressure on the Spaniards and had the support of the home crowd.
The race went down to the wire as Fernandez and Alvarez held firm to win by 0.89 from Szerafin and Kiszl.
Fernandez and Alvarez secured victory in 1:51:26.22 as Szerafin and Kiszli claimed silver in 1:51:27.11 and Sinko and Csepe earned bronze in 1:51:28.89.
It is the Spanish pair’s second world title after their success at the 2022 World Championships in Ponte de Lima.
“We are very happy,” said Alveraz.
“It’s a very good felling.
“We had this feeling in 2022 in Ponte de Lima so it’s amazing to be able to achieve this goal again here.
“It was a very tough race as it is a very tactical course. We had to have a good positioning for all these turns and for the portages so I think we managed to do nicely.
“The key was the last portage and being able to get into first position with all we had and try to maintain the lead until the finish line.
“Last year we finished fourth. Now we are here and we are back.”
In the other race on the final day, Zarand Janos Lanczi and Kevin Budai delivered another gold for hosts Hungary.
Lanczi and Budai dug deep to strike gold in 1:28:36.80.
Great Britain’s William Short would have been looking to add another title to his victory in the men’s K1 junior short race.
But Short and Alexander Worgan came up short as they sealed silver in 1:28:41.50.
The bronze went to South Africa’s Keegan Vogt and Ryley Smith who crossed in 1:28:52.75.
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