Brazilian canoeist Isaquias Queiroz in the semifinals at the Montreal World Cup

Brazil made a highly successful start to the Sprint Canoe World Cup held in Montreal, drawing attention particularly with its frequently mentioned athletes. Starting on Thursday, Brazilian canoeists managed to reach the finals and semifinals in both Olympic and Paralympic categories. Olympic champion Isaquias Queiroz comfortably secured his semifinal ticket by finishing his race in the C1 500 meters event in second place. Additionally, Filipe Vieira, competing in the men's C1 500 meters race, finished his heat in fifth place, becoming one of the names to advance to the next round. Thus, Brazil once again showcased its strong infrastructure and depth in the international arena.

Isaquias Queiroz's race was highly competitive and contested, with a time of 1 minute 52 seconds 38. Chinese athlete Bowen Ji took the lead of the group with a time of 1 minute 51 seconds 29, while the Brazilian champion secured second place. In the women's C1 500 meters race, Valdenice Nascimento finished fourth with a time of 2 minutes 17 seconds 20, earning the right to compete in the semifinals. Gabriel Nascimento, competing in the men's C1 200 meters category, finished the qualifying round in first place with a time of 40 seconds 06, continuing this superior performance in the semifinals. Nascimento's determined stance enabled him to earn the right to compete in the A final.

Filipe Vieira, another athlete competing for Brazil in the C1 200 meters category, also became one of the notable names of the tournament. Finishing the qualifying rounds in third place with a time of 40 seconds 87, Vieira earned the right to compete in the semifinals with this success. However, by finishing the semifinal race in fifth place, he slightly complicated his chances of directly advancing to the A final. As a result, Filipe Vieira earned the right to compete in the B final to speak of his success in the championship and further improve his time. Vieira, who puts on a show of his performance, continues his preparations intensively to improve his times and make a name for himself in the upcoming races.

At the Paralympic Canoe World Cup held at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Brazil literally turned into a mine, with numerous athletes advancing to the finals. Fernando Rufino flew directly into the final nets by achieving the best time in his heat with a time of 43 seconds 63 in the KL2 200 meters race. Flávio Reitz also advanced directly to the final as the fastest name in a different heat of the same race with a time of 44 seconds 02. These results proved that Brazilian athletes competing in the paralympic field were highly motivated and equipped with competitive determination.

The Montreal stage holds great importance as the final and most valuable stop of the 2026 Canoe World Cup. The points collected from this competition will determine the athletes' international rankings and shape the course of future tournaments. In the first stop of the calendar in Hungary, Brazilian athletes had achieved various successes, such as Isaquias's silver medal. In the next stage held in Germany, athletes like Isaquias and Gabriel also managed to return to their countries with gold and bronze medals. All these consistent performances position Brazil as one of the strongest rivals on the long and difficult road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.