Keeling secures men's SS1 title at Fortaleza World Cup, Pinto leads Brazilian sweep

Keeling triumphs in men's SS1

South African paddler Mark Keeling secured a significant victory at the Canoe Ocean Racing World Cup in Fortaleza, preventing Brazil from achieving a complete medal sweep in the men's SS1 event. Keeling completed the race in an impressive 1:49:11.054. He was followed by Brazilian competitors Alexandre Felipe Nascimento Ferreira, who claimed silver with a time of 1:54:45.859, and Luiz Wagner Pecoraro, who earned bronze in 1:55:45.109.

Keeling's post-race reflections

Expressing his delight after the race, Keeling commented, "It feels amazing. It was a beautiful day out there, I could not have asked for better conditions, the runs were beautiful, the wind was strong so I’m very happy and stoked to have won today." He revealed that competing in Fortaleza had been a long-term goal, influenced by positive feedback, including from Oscar Chalupsky. "I’m really happy to be here and finally get this opportunity," he added, noting that the experience "far exceeded my expectations." He concluded, "I had to pinch myself as I was like ‘Wow, this is a dream’. It’s an amazing race. Today was magnificent."

Pinto leads Brazilian dominance in women's SS1

In the women's SS1 category, the host nation celebrated a dominant performance, with Ariela Pinto leading a remarkable Brazilian one-two-three finish. Pinto clinched the gold medal with a time of 2:26:17.757. Her compatriots Mariana Muriel Victorio Falconi secured silver, crossing the finish line in 2:27:01.007, and Bruna De Abreu Liborio took bronze with a time of 2:30:30.460.

This World Cup event was notably integrated into the eighth annual MolokaBRA festival, which is recognized as one of the largest wind and open-water sports gatherings across the Americas.

[go to the magazine: paddleworldwide]

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