Our Team

For the past years, Portugal has re-emerged in Canoe Sprint discipline. After our presence in Athens 2004, with Emanuel Silva in K1 1000 meters, we started to grow an incredible level. In 2008 we had 4 athletes in Beijing and in London 2012 we archived the first Olympic medal for Portuguese Canoeing.

Starting in 2005, the work with the national sprint teams has become a very serious issue for our Federation. A regular number of training camps for seniors, juniors and Cadets has increased a lot.

Ryszard Hoppe, started working for us as head coach in our National High performance center in Montemor-o-Velho since 2005 and now in 2013 he will take our national Cano Sprint teams to a new olympic cycle.

With 8 years already finish, the Portuguese National Canoe Sprint teams have collected very important goals, at a European and Worldwide Level.

Today we are seen as a powerful nation in Canoeing among others, with several medals in most of the International events promoted by the European Canoe Association and International Canoe Federation.

between 2005 and 2012 our National Teams collected more than 275% of all medals in Portguese Canoeing History.

The biggest result was of course the Silver medal in London 2012 by our K2 1000 meters. But other very important results were archived. One of the biggest was in 2011 by our K4 Senior Men. They were European Champions in the Olympic distance of 1000 meters, with a world record time.

For 2013, and playing at home, the goal is set. Fight for the K4 1000m title and of course several other podiums in K1, K2,C1 Men and women, not forgetting also Paracanoe.

Top Athletes

Fernando Pimenta

Best Men athlete in 2012 with silver medal in London and also in Rome in marathon World Champs. In 2010 in k2 500 meters, he was 2nd with joão Ribeiro (another very promissing Portuguese Paddler), the best ever result in a Canoe sprint seniors World Cahmpionship so far for portugal.
Fernando is a very complete athlete and promisses to make more history for portuguese Canoeing in a very near Future.

Emanuel Silva
One of the most historic athlets of modern canoeing in portugal. Present in three Olimpic Games, two finals A and one Silver medal in K2 1000 meters.
Emanuel or mane as he is know betwwen friends, is a very talent athlete and still has several "cards to play " in 2013.

Teresa Portela 
Our best Female athlete in 2012 with two Finals A in London 2012. Teresa is the women with more medals of the portuguese Canoe Federation history, and has the best ever result in a olympic distance in a Seniors World Championship for Portugal. She was 4th in K1 500 meters in 2010.

For 2013, and after a very entusiastic end of season with the Siver in London 2012,we are working no only with these, but also with very high quality athletes, with the goal of getting the best results in ECA Canoe Sprint European Championship 2013.

Until June 2013 , we will present you with several interviews with our national Canoe Sprint Senior Team members that can be seen in this page.