Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta didn’t let a false start decide his race as he struck gold at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Montreal, Canada.
After setting off a second too soon, Pimenta returned to the start line before powering to glory while Germany’s Pauline Jagsch took victory in impressive fashion.
The men’s kayak single 200m final produced a dramatic dead heat with two golds dished out in Montreal.
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Spain thrilled spectators, taking gold in the women’s canoe double 200m.
There was double delight for China in the C1, while Hungary took a gold in the team boat for a second day running.
Pimenta powered out the gate for the second time, and maintained his speed to take gold in the men’s K1 1000m.
He captured his second gold in this distance of the season in 3:35.60.
“It’s unbelievable. The conditions were hard,” said Pimenta.
“But I stuck to my race, I just wanted to enjoy it.
“I think I had a great race, one of the most beautiful races I have ever done with the headwind.
“Now I’m ready for the 5000m race, they are all different so I just want to put on a good show.”
After a strong showing in the semifinals, Australia’s Thomas Green held onto the silver despite an attempted comeback from Olympic champion Josef Dostal of Czechia.
Green crossed the line in 3:36.64, as Dostal secured bronze just 0.03 seconds behind.
Jagsch and Australia’s Natalia Dropbot began the women’s kayak single 500m neck-and-neck but midway through, Jagsch peeled away to take the lead.
The German paddler held onto her lead and captured gold in 1:51.30.
"It was really nice out there. I'm really happy that I was able to put everything together today. The conditions were great, and everything came together just as I hoped,” said Jagsch.
"It was a really good race. I had a good start, stayed composed, and was able to keep some strong, powerful strokes through to the finish. I'm really happy with how it all came together."
"The competition was strong, so it feels great to come away with this result. I'm very pleased with my performance today."
Reigning world champion Anna Pulawska of Poland seemed to be out of contention for a medal, but came from behind to secure silver in 1:52.08.
Drobot, the youngest paddler of the race, slowed slightly toward the finish line, but had enough in her to complete the podium with a bronze in 1:52.46.
Nothing separated the gold medal race in the men’s K1 200m, as Serbia’s Marko Dragosavljevic and Italy’s Andrea Di Liberto both took gold.
After lengthy deliberation the paddlers shared the victory with a time of 35.78.
"It means so much to be back on the podium representing my country. I won a medal in the K1 200 here 13 years ago, but in recent years I've finished fourth, fifth and sixth without reaching the podium,” said Dragosavljevic.
“To finally win another gold medal in this event makes me incredibly happy. It feels like my time has come again.
"It was a very close race. Around halfway I think I was in fifth or sixth place, but I knew I had a strong finish. I just kept pushing, pushing and pushing over the final metres.
"Right at the end I thought I might have won silver, but I knew I had done enough to get a medal. When I crossed the line and saw it was gold, it was an amazing feeling. My heart told me I had won."
Lithuania’s Arturas Seja took bronze, just 0.07 seconds behind the two victors, to round off an incredibly tight race.
In the women’s C2 200m, Spain’s Angels Moreno and Victoria Yarchevska captured a narrow victory in 43.47.
“I’m really happy with this gold, especially because we managed to hold on until the very end; it was a race where we secured the win in the final few meters,” said Moreno.
“Above all, we’re pleased to see that we’re right up there among the top boats, so we’re leaving this World Cup feeling good and happy.”
The duo started strong out the gates and maintained their run to hold off two sets of Chinese competitors who completed the podium.
Changwen Shuai and Wenjun Lin took silver in 43.59, as Anshuo Teng and Xina Jiang clinched bronze in 44.14.
After taking gold in the men’s K4 on the opening day of finals, Hungary’s C4 replicated the win in the men’s 500m.
Kristof Kollár, István Juhász, Jonathan Hajdu, and Daniel Fejes powered ahead to capture the win in 1:32.96.
Brazil took silver in 1:35.30, with Olympic champion Isaquias Queiroz leading the way.
The Canadian quad try to stick with the victors but couldn’t maintain the pace as they captured bronze in 1:36.58.
China’s Mengya Sun captured the women’s canoe single 500m in 2:10.67 to continue her impressive season.
The home crowd helped push Canada’s Sophia Jensen to silver in 2:11.98.
Italy’s Olympia Della Giustina completed the podium in 2:13.76.
There was consecutive success for China, as Bowen Ji captured gold in the men’s C1 500m.
Ji secured his third medal of the World Cup season in 1:50.61.After taking silver in Brandenburg, Ji returns to the top of the podium in Montreal.
The silver was secured by Moldova’s Serghei Tarnovschi in 1:51.65, as Greece’s Stefanos Dimopoulos completed the podium in 1:52.38.
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