This Saturday, the President of the Republic congratulated canoeist Fernando Pimenta, winner of the gold medal in the K1 1,000 meter event at the World Cup in Germany, noting that the athlete “achieved another extraordinary feat.”
The canoeist Fernando Pimenta won today the gold medal in the 1,000 meter K1 event at the World Cups in Germany and, with this, qualified Portugal for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
In a note posted on the presidential website, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa “congratulates Olympic canoeist Fernando Pimenta, who became world champion in the K1 1,000-meter race, at the canoeing world championship that takes place in Duisburg, Germany.” .
With “this third gold medal in the World Championship, which combines the bronze medal achieved yesterday in K1 500 meters and qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Fernando Pimenta achieves another extraordinary feat for the national sport and for canoeing in particular, in an already long career in which he has always represented Portugal at the highest level, and which makes the President of the Republic and all Portuguese people proud”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also highlights “the good performance of national athletes in the most varied modalities in recent days, not only in the canoeing world championship, but also in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in the Grand Prix Judo and the World Cadet Judo Championships, both in Zagreb, Croatia, the Triathlon in Paris, the European Junior Jumping Championships in Rijeka, Croatia, without forgetting the world title of João Paulo Azevedo and Inês Barros in the mixed team competition in Shooting with Hunting Weapons at the World Championship of the modality in Baku, Azerbaijan”.
To all the athletes, “to those who have already competed and to those who are still competing, to the coaches and technical teams, to their respective federations and to the Portuguese Olympic Committee, the President of the Republic leaves a word of support and encouragement, wishing them the best on a personal level and Sports.
Previously, the canoeist Fernando Pimenta had affirmed that the President of the Republic should “have more discretion” in the receptions and decorations of Portuguese athletes at the Belém Palace, considering that he was the subject of unequal treatment.
“Honestly, there should be more criteria to be received by the President of the Republic. I was the only medalist of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games who was not received, justifying that I already had that award,” he illustrated, in statements to RTP.
After winning bronze at the Olympic Games, Fernando Pimenta was not invited along with the other medalists because he had already received the same award before: “They could have at least called me to tell me ‘if you want to be present, you will be.’ another because you already have this one.
“There is a duality of criteria. Honestly, I feel a little more Portuguese when I win, it’s not the same when I do it, it’s not the same anymore. Today I won, maybe Fernando Pimenta will be champion again, but he works every day to everyone and we must increasingly value sport and athletes in Portugal”, he added, after winning his 133rd medal in the major international competitions.
The president of the Portuguese Canoeing Federation, Vítor Félix, added that in addition to being received by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the F16s of the Air Force should also escort him, “as they did with the women’s soccer team” after the World Cup.
“I think that both Fernando Pimenta and a group of Portuguese athletes with a good track record, with European and world titles, deserved fair and equal recognition by the highest figure in the State,” the leader stressed.
Vítor Félix considered that this recognition should be given not only for “participating in the World Cup, as happened with the women’s soccer team, but for the results and sporting merit of the athletes this year, and simply talking about it.”
Source: TSF
