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34-year-old German canoeist Sebastian Brendel will be one the Germany's biggest hopes for the gold medal, both in C2 together with Tim Hecker or in C1 1000 metres event. Three times Olympic champion is holder of 13 European champion titles until now and the chances are really high he will improve the statistics at home European Championships in Munich 2022. Brendel and Hecker are the current World Champions in men's C2 1000 metres event and also the defending European Champions.

 

Another exciting racing is expected in men's kayak 1000 metres event with many strong names on the start line, but two are standing out. 33-year-old Portuguese kayaker Fernando Pimenta and 25-year-old Hungarian Balint Kopasz have been ruling the discipline in the past couple of seasons and exchanging the top position, either at World or European Championships.

 

Kopasz is the reigning World Champion, he won the title only ten days ago at World Championships in Canada, while Pimenta won silver medal. In the last season, the roles were reversed. Pimenta took the World Champion title in front of his Hungarian colleague. Balint came to Munich in a role of a defending European Champion. And in 2018 it was Pimenta who won ahead of Kopasz.

 

"We are rivals on the water, but out of it we have a good relationship. We congratulate each other if we win or lose. I like him a lot, because he is very humble. I hope he will be in canoeing for a long time, representing his country - Hungary, and I hope to do the same with Portugal. I would like to represent Portugal on a high level and be in a good shape," said Pimenta.

 

Women's part of the competition includes strong names in canoe events, with Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan, Hungary's Virag Balla and Spain's Antia Jacome and Maria Corbera, Germany's Lisa Jahn fighting for the top spots.

 

 

Women's kayak events include multiple Olympic Games, World and European Championships medallists. Denmark's Emma Aastrand Jorgensen, Anna Lucz from Hungary, Polish kayaker Marta Walczykiewicz, Germany's Jule Hake will face a strong competition in this year's bright stars Anja Osterman from Slovenia and Anamaria Govorcinovic from Croatia. The latter returned from the World Championships with a silver and bronze medal, while Osterman won silver in 200 metres event in Canada, the event where she won in both editions of the 2022 World Cup.

 

"I am looking forward to the European Championships. I've never competed here, but I am looking forward to it. My goals are high, especially after the World Championships. Lisa Carrington will not be here, so this means I might even win. But I need to go step by step, you need to qualify for the final first. If I will paddle as I know I can, I am sure I can get the places I wish at the European Championships," said Anja Osterman.

 

Another events to pay attention to are undoubtedly the men's and women's K4 500 metres events. In men's K4 Germany will start for the gold medal and European Champions title with Max Rendschmit, Tom Liebscher, Jacob Schopf and Max Lemke. In this prestigious event, the main German rivals include teams from Ukraine, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary, who were also winning the medals in the past four years. In women's K4 500 metres event, Slovakia returns with its crew after 25 years of absence at this Championships in Munich. Hungary, Denmark and Poland - the reigning World Champions, are the ones to watch.

 

The next four days at the Munich 2022 European Championships are expected to bring exciting action, delivered by experienced and well decorated canoe sprint athletes as well as the future starts of the sport. On the start line of this European Championships are also the names of the athletes who were winning the medals at the 2022 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships.