Pedersen excited the home crowd when he came from behind to take the lead, but he was unable to hold off Pimenta in the final leg at Lake Jels.

Pimenta responded to Pedersen’s challenge, overtaking him in the closing stages to retain the title.

The Portuguese ace made his intention clear from the off when he hit the front with compatriot Jose Ramalho and Norway’s Eivind Vold sitting just behind him in the first lap.

It was not going Pedersen’s way in the opening stages with Hungary’s Balint Noe moving into contention.

Noe’s hopes were ended in the first portage as Pedersen moved in behind Pimenta and Ramalho.

Pimenta kept his nose in front in the second leg before Pedersen made a brilliant surge to delight the home fans.

Pedersen produced a superb exit off the water for the final portage before racing ahead with the majority of spectators throwing their full support behind him.

The Danish canoeist held the edge only for Pimenta to come storming back to regain the lead after the final buoy.

Pimenta proved too strong, taking victory in a time of 14min 14.32sec as Pedersen came second in 14:15.85 and Vold placed third in 14:28.66.

Manuel Campos beat Diego Romero in a thrilling all-Spanish tussle to take men’s C1 short race gold.

There was just one second between them, with Campos getting the better of Romero in a gripping finale.

Moldova’s Serghei Tarnovschi and his older brother Oleg Tarnovschi led a five-strong breakaway in the opening leg.

Campos did superbly in the first portage to move ahead before Serghei Tarnovschi returned to the front in what turned out to be a dramatic second leg.

Oleg Tarnovschi capsized before his brother was involved in a collision allowing Spaniards Romero and Campos to push ahead.

The second portage saw Campos emerge on top, beating Romero to the water for the final lap.

Romero got himself back in front before Campos managed to edge ahead and take victory by just one second.

Campos triumphed in 16:34.39, with Romero finishing in 16:36.10 and Mateusz Zuchora overcoming fellow Pole Mateusz Borgiel to take bronze in 16:44.55.

Zsófia Kisbán of Hungary overhauled Liudmyla Babak of Ukraine to seal women’s C1 short race gold.

It was a two-horse race with little between them until the final lap when Kisbán found an extra gear to forge ahead.

Kisbán was leading over the first five minutes before entering the first portage when she was overtaken by Babak.

The Ukrainian held a slender lead when they returned to the water as the two canoeists battled it out for gold.

It was neck and neck as they arrived at the second portage, with Babak getting out of the water first before Kisbán beat her in the sprint.

After taking the lead, Kisbán did not look back as she pulled away from Babak, triumphing in 18:49.34.

Ukraine picked up two medals, with Babak finishing second in 19:16.47, followed by Olena Tsyhankova in 19:42.64.

Sweden’s Melina Andersson beat Vanda Kiszli of Hungary to retain the women’s K1 short race crown.

Andersson was the early front runner before being overtaken by Kiszli at the end of the first leg, while Spain’s Eva Barrios moved into contention.

After a frantic arrival at the opening portage, Barrios pushed ahead in the sprint only for Kiszli to wrestle back the lead in the water.

Emese Kohami also came into the mix in the second leg, joining Kiszli but it was Andersson who was quickest in the second portage, moving in front of the Hungarians.

Andersson maintained her form to seal victory in 15:55.88, with Kiszli second in 15:56.65 and Barrios beating Kohami in the battle for bronze in 16:04.08.

Competition is due to continue tomorrow.