The 2026 Paddle Europe Sprint & Paracanoe Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, delivered not only outstanding racing, but also a remarkable set of historic performances.
Known over the years as a venue where wind conditions can sometimes create challenging racing scenarios, Montemor-o-Velho showed during these Championships that it can also be one of the fastest and fairest courses in Europe. Against that background, the results achieved in Portugal were particularly significant.
A total of eight European Best Times were broken during the Championships, making Montemor-o-Velho one of the most successful venues in European sprint history for new records. Only the 2017 edition in Bulgaria, where 11 European records were set, produced a higher number of best times.
The eight new European Best Times achieved in Montemor-o-Velho were:
- Martin FUKSA of Czechia in C1 Men 1000m, with a new best time of 3:41.797
- Liudmyla LUZAN of Ukraine in C1 Women 500m, with a new best time of 2:00.822
- Liudmyla LUZAN of Ukraine in C1 Women 200m, with a new best time of 43.710
- Pauline JAGSCH of Germany in K1 Women 500m, with a new best time of 1:47.164
- Hungary in K4 Men 500m, with a new best time of 1:18.000
- Aleksandra DUPIK in Paracanoe VL1 Women 200m, with a new best time of 1:05.371
- Norberto MOURÃO of Portugal in Paracanoe VL2 Men 200m, with a new best time of 52.242
- Charlotte HENSHAW of Great Britain in Paracanoe VL3 Women 200m, with a new best time of 53.492
Some of these performances carried particular historical weight. In the Paracanoe VL2 Men 200m, Portugal’s Norberto Mourão broke a European Best Time that had stood for ten years, adding a special home-nation moment to the Championships.
In the women’s canoe events, Liudmyla Luzan produced two outstanding performances for Ukraine. In C1 Women 500m, she lowered the previous best time of 2:02.749, held by Alena Nazdrova, to 2:00.822, taking almost two full seconds off the previous mark. In C1 Women 200m, Luzan also improved the previous best time of 45.178, held by Poland’s Dorota Borowska, setting a new European standard of 43.710.
These results highlight the exceptional level of European sprint and paracanoe racing in 2026, while also underlining the quality of the Montemor-o-Velho course during the Championships. Across Olympic and paracanoe events, athletes found the conditions needed to perform at their very best.
For Paddle Europe, Portugal, and all the athletes who made history, the 2026 Championships will be remembered not only for its champions and medal moments, but also as an edition where Montemor-o-Velho confirmed its place among the fastest stages in European canoe sprint and paracanoe racing.
22.6.2026
