Momentum Shifts as 16 Riders Head to the Medal Series

Fortunes were won and lost as five days of racing came down to the last minutes of Sunday’s racing to determine which women and men would head to Monday’s top-eight medal series. With new stars and former winners in the mix, the European Championships are coming to a dramatic conclusion.

Down to the Wire
Lauriane Nolot of France and Lily Young of the UK kept the fortunes they earned all week extending their lead on the fleet.

Nolot was a hammer all day, despite crashing around a weather mark. She moved into first overall and never looked back. She and Young were never threatened and, as the format goes, they will go straight into Monday’s Grand Finals. Nolot is given one win for the first-to-two-wins format.

© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Lauriane Nolot [FRA] leads Lily Young [GBR] (yellow bib) straight into the Grand Final

For the intense one-day medal series, riders, like Nolot and Young, gain advantages based on their qualifying series positions. Third and fourth place go straight to the semifinals while fifth through eighth have to make their way through the quarter finals. The top two from that stage round out the semifinals and first and second from the semifinals make it to the Grand Finals.

Poland’s Izabela Satrjan and local hero Derin Atakan were crazy consistent in third and fourth and booked their ticket to the semi finals. Satrjan was remarkably consistent and was third despite a messy tangle in the last race which she didn’t finish.

© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Despite a crash in the last race, Izabela Satrjan [POL] held third place and a spot in the semifinals

Lysa Caval of France  won the day with the lowest point score and was first into the quarterfinals. Her 1,5,4,1,2 bested even Nolot’s dominance in first. It’s the second time she will be in a senior series medal series.

The wind was really tricky and light but I like this because it decreases my front foot pressure and I was ankle to be faster than the other days,“ said Caval who came back from some three poor races Saturday.  “Today I was capable of doing great things and tomorrow I hope I can do the same.”

Eighth place, the final spot, went to Mafalda Pires De Lima of Portugal who traded 9nth and 8th place with Australia’s Briana Whitehead through five races Sunday. One point between them and one rider between them on the final race of the day allowed Pires De Lima to sneak into the medal series, delivering a heartbreaking loss to Whitehead.

Big Changes Top and Bottom

The pinch point came in the final men’s gold fleet races came in both the top and bottom of the top eight.

Riccardo Pianosi had his worst starts of the event but found a way to shift into sixth gear downwind when everyone was in fifth gear and extend his lead.

© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Max Maeder [SGP] did what he needed to end in second and secure a spot in the Grand Final

The most aggressive battle of the day was for the second spot in the Grand Finals. Max Meder was in third going into Sunday with no option but to win races to beat Cameron Meremenides of Greece who sat in second. And that’s what he did, with firsts and top five places, while Meremenides slipped back and the Singaporean punched his ticket to the Grand Finals.

“It’s not because something s wrong with me it’s something my competitors are doing better than me,” said Maeder who admired Maramenides' performance through the week. “The medal series format makes it even more cut throat than it already is.”

France’s Gomez had an epic string of finishes and climbed past Maramenides to end the series in third place, claiming a spot in the semifinals.

© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Jan Marciniak [POL] shoked the fleet and marched into the medal series spot.

More shocking than Maeder’s triumph was Jan Marciniak’s run to the medal series. The Pol started the day in 11th and just chipped away as the rest cracked under pressure. He had double digit finishes but a 7 and a 2 were enough to grab eighth and the last spot in the medal series.

It’s easy to forget that there was a Men’s Silver Fleet series on Sunday with all the qualifying action. And Tomas Pires De Lima of Portugal scored a solid win.

If the qualifiers were any indication, the Formula Kite European Championships Medal Series will be high tension with the entire championship on the line for any of the 16 riders to take.

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