Fernando Pimenta

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Fernandes and the second or paternal family name is Pimenta.

Fernando Pimenta

GOIH ComM

Pimenta being awarded the K-1 1000 m gold medal at the 2016 European Championships
Personal information
Full name	Fernando Ismael Fernandes Pimenta
Nationality	Portuguese
Born	(1989-08-13) 13 August 1989 Ponte de Lima, Portugal
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	81 kg (179 lb)
Website	fernandopimenta.com
Sport
Country	Portugal
Sport	Sprint kayak
Club	Benfica
Coached by	Hélio Lucas
Medal record Representing Portugal Men's canoe sprint Olympic Games 2012 London K-2 1000 m 2020 Tokyo K-1 1000 m World Championships 2017 Račice K-1 5000 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 1000 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 5000 m 2021 Copenhagen K-1 1000 m 2023 Duisburg K-1 1000 m 2010 Poznań K-2 500 m 2014 Moscow K-4 1000 m 2017 Račice K-1 1000 m 2021 Copenhagen K-1 5000 m 2022 Dartmouth K-1 1000 m 2022 Dartmouth K-2 Mix 500 m 2023 Duisburg K-1 5000 m 2024 Samarkand K-1 500 m 2024 Samarkand K-1 5000 m 2015 Milan K-1 1000 m 2019 Szeged K-1 1000 m 2019 Szeged K-1 5000 m 2022 Dartmouth K-1 500 m 2023 Duisburg K-1 500 m 2024 Samarkand K-4 Mix 500 m European Games 2015 Baku K-1 1000 m 2015 Baku K-1 5000 m 2019 Minsk K-1 1000 m 2019 Minsk K-1 5000 m 2023 Kraków-Małopolska K-1 500 m European Championships 2011 Belgrade K-4 1000 m 2016 Moscow K-1 1000 m 2016 Moscow K-1 5000 m 2017 Plovdiv K-1 1000 m 2018 Belgrade K-1 1000 m 2022 Munich K-1 5000 m 2024 Szeged K-1 5000 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 1000 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 5000 m 2015 Račice K-4 1000 m 2017 Plovdiv K-1 5000 m 2018 Belgrade K-1 5000 m 2021 Poznań K-1 1000 m 2022 Munich K-1 1000 m 2024 Szeged K-1 500 m 2010 Trasona K-2 500 m 2011 Belgrade K-1 1000 m 2014 Brandenburg K-1 5000 m 2014 Brandenburg K-4 1000 m 2015 Račice K-1 1000 m 2018 Belgrade K-1 500 m 2021 Poznań K-1 5000 m 2022 Munich K-1 500 m 2024 Szeged K-1 1000 m Mediterranean Games 2018 Taragona K-1 500 m Universiade 2013 Kazan K-1 500 m 2013 Kazan K-1 1000 m Men's canoe marathon World Championships 2022 Ponte de Lima K-1 short race 2022 Ponte de Lima K-2 2023 Vejen K-1 short race 2023 Vejen K-2 2024 Metković K-2 2012 Rome K-1

Fernando Ismael Fernandes Pimenta GOIH ComM (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɨɾˈnɐ̃du piˈmẽtɐ], born 13 August 1989) is a Portuguese sprint canoeist who has won multiple medals at the Olympic Games, World and European championships. At club level, he represents Benfica.

Career

Pimenta has competed since the late 2000s. His first major result came at the 2010 World Championships in Poznań, Poland, when he won the K-2 500 metres silver medal together with João Ribeiro. One year later, he contributed to the Portuguese K-4 1000 metres gold medal at the European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and claimed a bronze in the K-1 1000 metres. Together with Emanuel Silva, he won the silver medal in the K-2 1000 metres event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was Portugal's only medal at these Games.

In 2013, Pimenta won multiple medals in international events, namely two silvers (K-1 5000 metres and K-4 1000 metres) at the European Championships, held in Portugal's Montemor-o-Velho racing course, and two golds (K-1 500 and 1000 metres) at the Summer Universiade in Kazan. The following year, he secured his second world championship medal in Moscow, after a runner-up finish in the K-4 1000 metres event. At the European Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, Pimenta finished again in the top-three places of the K-1 5000 and K-4 1000 metres, taking a bronze medal in both events.

Pimenta participated in the inaugural edition of the European Games, in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he became the first Portuguese sprint canoeist to win a medal in this competition, after finishing second in the K-1 1000 metres event; a day later, he added another silver medal in the K-1 5000 metres. At the World Championships in Milan, Pimenta won the K-1 1000 metres bronze medal – his third medal at this level – and secured his country's qualification for this event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2016, Pimenta won his first individual continental titles after taking the K-1 1000 and 5000 metres gold medals at the European Championships in Moscow. At the Olympics, he missed the medal places, finishing 5th and 6th in the K-1 1000 metres and K-4 1000 metres finals, respectively. The following year in July, he defended his European K-1 1000 metres title in Plovdiv, but lost the K-1 5000 metres crown to his German rival Max Hoff. However, the following month, Pimenta would beat Hoff in a sprint finish for the K-1 5000 metres gold medal at the World Championships in Račice, to win his first individual world title. On 5 March 2018, he moved from Clube Náutico de Ponte de Lima to S.L. Benfica.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Pimenta won his heat, earning direct access to the semi-final which he also won with an Olympic Record. During the 3 August 2021 final, Pimenta won the bronze medal with faster time than in the previous round.

Major results

Olympics

Year	K-1 1000	K-2 200	K-2 1000	K-4 1000
2012		DNS H
2016	5			6
2020		—		—
2024	6	—	—	—

World championships

Year	K-1 500	K-1 1000	K-1 5000	K-2 500	K-2 1000	K-4 1000	XK-2 500	XK-4 500	K–1 4 × 200
2010					7		—	—	4 H
2011		8	7			2 FB	—	—
2014		1 FB					—	—
2015						5	—	—	—
2017							—	—	—
2018							—	—	—
2019	6 H						—	—	—
2021						—	—	—	—
2022			DNF			—		—	—
2023						—		—	—
2024		—		—		—			—

Orders

• Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry
• Commander of the Order of Merit

External links

• Official website (in Portuguese)
• Fernando Pimenta at the International Canoe Federation
• Fernando Pimenta at Olympics.com
• Fernando Pimenta at Olympedia
• Fernando Pimenta at the Olympic Committee of Portugal
• Fernando Pimenta at the Portuguese Canoeing Federation