"The data we have today in terms of participation is much higher than our initial forecast, also because, with a new Olympic qualification system, the European Championship now counts towards the ranking for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and has gained some importance in competitive terms," ​​said the president of the Portuguese Canoeing Federation, Ricardo Machado, during the presentation of the event today.

The championships take place from Thursday to Sunday at the High Performance Centre in Montemor-o-Velho, in the district of Coimbra, featuring 25 events.

Nationally, Portugal has 26 athletes, five of whom are in paracanoeing.

“We will have athletes fighting for finals and medals, and we will have other athletes, young promises, who will have their first experience here as senior athletes and who will also have the opportunity here at home to show their worth and that Portuguese canoeing is good, recommended, and has a future,” he argued.

Ricardo Machado acknowledged expectations for the national team, noting that it has always won medals at European championships.

“Whether we will succeed or not, we never promise, as it is something that does not depend only on us. (…) There are many people here fighting for the same goal, but I am confident that in the end we will certainly leave with medals and many finals, which is also important,” he stressed.

In the press conference presenting the event, the official also highlighted the commitment of the Government and the Municipality of Montemor-o-Velho to guarantee “the minimum conditions” for holding the championship at the Montemor-o-Velho High Performance Centre, which was affected by the storms at the beginning of the year.

The European Championships in sprint canoeing, paracanoeing and masters represent a direct investment of one million euros.