From first steps to world-class legacy.

Seven years after hosting its first international canoe sprint event in 2012, Portugal welcomed the Senior and Paracanoe World Championships for the first time in August 2018.

That landmark competition crowned a cycle of successful events at the Montemor-o-Velho High Performance Center — and launched a new era for the sport in the country. In 2021, even amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portugal returned with a highly successful Junior & U23 World Championships featuring athletes from more than 70 nations.

Over a decade later, the momentum continued: in 2023 we staged the European Junior & U23 Championships, followed by another Junior & U23 World Championships in 2024.

Now, in 2026, Portugal returns with the renewed Paddle Europe Sprint, Paracanoe and Masters Championships — uniting Sprint Seniors and Masters for the first time in history, alongside Paracanoe.

See you in June in Montemor-o-Velho.