Emanuel Silva
Encyclopedia
Emanuel Eduardo Pimenta Vieira Silva (born December 4, 1985) is a Portuguese
sprint canoer
. He was born in Braga
. A finalist at the 2004 Olympics
, he is Portugal's most successful kayak sprinter since the 1980s.
Despite training with very limited resources, Silva became outright Portuguese individual champion over three distances (500 m, 1000 m and 10,000 m) at the age of just sixteen.
In 2003 he starred at the world junior championships in Komatsu
, Japan, winning the K1 500 m gold medal and silver in the K1 1000 m. He then competed in his first senior world championships, in Gainesville
, USA, placing a highly-creditable sixteenth in the K-1 1000 m.
In 2004 he reached his first senior final, finishing in seventh place at the European championships in Poznań
, Poland. Still only eighteen years old, and technically a junior, he was the second-youngest competitor in the blue riband K-1 1000 m event
at the Athens Olympics
and exceeded expectations by reaching the final. There he finished in seventh place in a time of 3:33.862.
He followed up his Athens success by winning the 2005 European Under-23 Championship K1 1000 m final in Plovdiv
, Bulgaria. Later in the season he won the first senior medal of his career, the K1 1000 m bronze at the European Championships in Poznań
, Poland.
In 2006 he retained his European under-23 title at Schinias, Greece. In senior competition he achieved his best-ever world championship placing, seventh, at the World Championships in Szeged
.
Silva was not as successful at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
as he was eliminated in the semifinals of both the K-1 500 m and the K-1 1000 m event.
Silva is now a member of the Clube Náutico de Prado, Vila de Prado, Portugal
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
. He was born in Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
. A finalist at the 2004 Olympics
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre for the sprint events and the Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre at the Helliniko Olympic Complex for the canoe and kayak slalom disciplines....
, he is Portugal's most successful kayak sprinter since the 1980s.
Despite training with very limited resources, Silva became outright Portuguese individual champion over three distances (500 m, 1000 m and 10,000 m) at the age of just sixteen.
In 2003 he starred at the world junior championships in Komatsu
Komatsu, Ishikawa
is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 109,285 with a density of 294 persons per km². The total area is 371.13 km²....
, Japan, winning the K1 500 m gold medal and silver in the K1 1000 m. He then competed in his first senior world championships, in Gainesville
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, USA, placing a highly-creditable sixteenth in the K-1 1000 m.
In 2004 he reached his first senior final, finishing in seventh place at the European championships in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland. Still only eighteen years old, and technically a junior, he was the second-youngest competitor in the blue riband K-1 1000 m event
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's K-1 1000 metres
These are the results of the men's K-1 1000 metres competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The K-1 event is raced by single-man canoe sprint kayaks.-Medalists:-Heats:...
at the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and exceeded expectations by reaching the final. There he finished in seventh place in a time of 3:33.862.
He followed up his Athens success by winning the 2005 European Under-23 Championship K1 1000 m final in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Bulgaria. Later in the season he won the first senior medal of his career, the K1 1000 m bronze at the European Championships in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland.
In 2006 he retained his European under-23 title at Schinias, Greece. In senior competition he achieved his best-ever world championship placing, seventh, at the World Championships in Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
.
Silva was not as successful at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
as he was eliminated in the semifinals of both the K-1 500 m and the K-1 1000 m event.
Silva is now a member of the Clube Náutico de Prado, Vila de Prado, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.