The iQFoil Youth & Junior International Games: medal series concluded in Torbole with cloudy weather, but a south wind of 10-11 knots.
Valentino Blewett and Medea Falcioni win among the Under 19s.
Dutch Brüll and Turkish Ugurlu take victory in the Under 17 category.
The iQFoil Youth & Junior International Games concluded in Torbole, on Garda Trentino, with the experimental 8-man Medal Series featuring only the semi-finals and finals, after five days of great racing, despite the weather that was always very uncertain, if not disturbed.
Once again, the Circolo Surf Torbole, organizer of the event with the technical support of the iQFoil class and the Italian Sailing Federation, brought all its experience, supported by its long tradition, to bear on a youth event that confirmed the positive trend of the new Olympic iQFoil class, increasingly popular even among Under 17 and Under 19 athletes. A total of 215 athletes from 23 nations traveled to Torbole to participate in the event.
The category that managed to compete in the greatest number of races before the medal series was the Under 19 men’s category, with 7 course racing races and 7 Sprint Racing/Slalom races.
The Medal Series, introduced on an experimental basis with a new format, saw the top two finishers advance directly to the final, while the competitors from third to eighth place competed in single-elimination semifinals, to which the top two advanced. In the final, the first-place finisher already had a victory in his favor, making the competition even more exciting. For this “first time” in all categories, the leader of the overall standings won the first final, immediately scoring the second point/victory. Under 19 Men A well-deserved victory for the Italian-Canadian Valentino Blewett (an athlete who trains with the Circolo Surf Torbole), who left the remaining steps of the podium to Frenchman Leopold Brisedou and Swiss Zeley. The semifinal of this category was characterized by three of the six competitors who started early, including the Italian Mattia Saoncella, who also suffered a “BFD”. A real shame because he led a championship that continued to grow until reaching third place on the eve of the semi-final.
Under 19 WomenA truly thrilling final among the girls, with several exchanges of positions from the start. In the end, the class of Italian Medea Falcioni (SEF Staamura) prevailed over a very good Francesca Maria Salerno (CCRLauria), who had led the way on a tack. Following this fine Italian double, third place went to Turkey’s Güven.
Men’s Under 17The Dutch won a double with Finn Brüll and Merlijn Boswijk. Czech Burda finished third, while Italian Lorenzo Maroadi (FVMalcesine) moved up to fourth overall.
Under 17 WomenTurkey was the protagonist, with first and second place confirmed for Rüya Ugurlu and Parla Kabasakal. Third place went to Noa Koren and an excellent fourth place for Ginevra Giunti (Planet Sail Bracciano), who managed to advance to the final after a hard-fought semifinal.
Some athletes’ opinions on the new 8-man medal series system, with a semi-final and final:
Mattia Saoncella: “A proposal that seems quite fair to me: you can challenge everyone a little, even directly on the last day. Of course it’s a notable tension, especially because those who are perhaps already on the podium, and with the semifinal, can drop significantly. But it’s worth experimenting with new things.”
Medea Falcioni: “I think the new system could be fairer, even if it needs to be tested in more conditions. First of all, it’s valid because the victories also count, therefore the result earned during the week. It’s not just a single test as far as the final is concerned, and so even if the first place has a chance of finishing fourth, there’s more room to play with more tests, perhaps even in different conditions. So I think it could be a good idea.”
Maria Francesca Salerno: “I think it’s a more valid medal race, which protects everyone. If someone is first for the entire Championship, they have the chance to make up for it on several occasions and I think it’s better than the previous one.”Valentino Blewett: “I think it’s good for the first because it’s enough for them to get another victory, but not for the third, because they can also finish eighth.”
Leaderboards: https://2025iqyjgamestorbole.sailti.com/en/default/races/race-resultsall
Photo gallery: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCdfDa
