José Ramón López had the following podium finishes at the Flatwater World Championships: 1st 1975 K4 1000 m (with José María Esteban, Herminio Menéndez, and Luis Ramos), 2nd 1978 K4 500 m (with José María Esteban, Herminio Menéndez, and Luis Ramos), 3rd 1975 K1 4×500 m (with Herminio Menéndez, Luis Ramos, and the non-Olympian Martín Vázquez), 3rd 1977 K4 500 m (with Herminio Menéndez, Luis Ramos, and the non-Olympian Juan Sánchez), 3rd 1977 K4 1000 m (with Herminio Menéndez, Luis Ramos, and the non-Olympian Juan Sánchez), 3rd 1978 K4 1000 m (with José María Esteban, Herminio Menéndez, and Luis Ramos).