Youth World titles set for final showdown - International Kiteboarding Association

Catalina Turienzo and Gian Stragiotti will start tomorrow’s Formula Kite Youth World Championship Medal Series as the leading qualifiers after a final day of intense racing that saw dreams of reaching the finals decided by the narrowest of margins.

While Turienzo and Stragiotti had already put themselves in a strong position, there was no such comfort for those fighting for the final places. With only the top 10 progressing, every race mattered – and the tension was clear across both fleets.

For the women, three riders went into the final four races knowing their championship was on the line. Greece’s Argyro Krotsi, American Molly O’Brien and Croatia’s Marija Dolenc battled relentlessly throughout the day, keeping each other within touching distance.

In the end, it was O’Brien who held on to take the final qualifying place in 10th, just two points ahead of Dolenc. The American, competing in the U17 category, was only a point behind Krotsi.

For Dolenc, it was a heartbreaking end to her championship. After fighting all day to stay in contention, she fell just short of the place she needed.

At the front, Turienzo continued to look almost untouchable. The Argentinian has been the dominant force of the championship and will now carry a qualifying bullet into tomorrow’s Grand Final.

Turkey’s Derin Atakan joins her at the front of the women’s Medal Series after finishing second in qualifying, while Russia’s Svetlana Trusova secured third to make the semi-final.

Italy’s Maddalena Spanu also had a moment to savour. The Sardinian claimed her first victory of the championship in Race 14, making a perfectly timed move on the final downwind to overtake Trusova.

Spanu, who was unbeaten in the Wingfoil circuit competitions she contested last year, had been waiting for her moment – and finally found it when it mattered.

There was similar tension in the men’s fleet, where Britain’s Ben Field squeezed into 10th and the final qualifying place, just two points ahead of Mexico’s Alec Vazquez Guerrero. Field will now have the chance to race for a world title but will have to win through from the quarter-final.

The men’s opening race produced one of the day’s most dramatic moments. Stragiotti made his trademark starboard start close to the pin, forcing Brazil’s Lucas Fonseca to slow suddenly as he approached on port.

Stragiotti then became tangled with Britain’s Charlie Mann, ending both their races.

Fonseca, however, refused to let the incident ruin his race. He fought his way back through the fleet on the opening upwind, reached the top mark in front and held on to win – his second victory of the championship.

The Brazilian’s recovery was one of the day’s most impressive displays of resilience and earned him third place in the final qualifying standings behind Stragiotti and China’s Qibin Huang.

Now the qualifiers have been decided, the pressure rises again tomorrow.

The Medal Series grand final is a first-to-two-victories contest as top quailifiers Turienzo and Stragiotti will each start the Grand Final with one win already on the board.

Racing is expected to get underway on Sunday at 13:00 Turkiye time (12:00 CET). Follow on our social channels with Instagram stroies from the water, live tracking on kiteclasses.org and full race highlights on the Kiteclasses YouTube channel.