Fin & Foil: IFCA Slalom World Championship starts in Alaçatı - Johan Søe in the lead

The IFCA Grand Slam Fin & Foil Slalom World Championships 2025 are officially open. The international event kicked off yesterday in Alaçatı with an atmospheric ceremony. The wind only allowed foil racing at the start, an interim attempt to switch to fin racing had to be cancelled and the race committee returned to foiling.

In the Youth & Junior Female Foil category, the defending champion Damla Kurtdemir from Turkey started her title defence in impressive style. With two consistent victories, she secured her first win of the day ahead of her compatriots Melis Bas in second place and Nisa Ustundag in third. The home advantage seemed to play into the Turkish athletes' hands, as they know the conditions in Alaçatı inside out and were able to make the most of them.

In the Youth Male Foil category, reigning world champion Sacha Fortune from France opened the day with a convincing first victory, demonstrating both speed and precision in the gybes. However, Danish challenger Kasper Nielsen proved unimpressed and won the second elimination, taking the current lead in the overall standings. Italy's Matteo Della Fiorentina completed the provisional podium with a solid third place, which he secured with consistently good placings. Mika Henning from Germany is currently in 17th place.

Perfect start for Johan Soe in the Open class

In the Open Division, the premier class, Johan Søe from Denmark once again delivered a flawless performance. With victories in both eliminations, he confidently secured the early lead in the overall standings. Bob van de Burgt from the Netherlands follows in second place, while the Swede Hugo Sjöberg is in third place. Søe's dominant performance on the first day sends a clear signal to the competition and establishes him as an early favourite for the world title in the Open class. The technically demanding conditions in Alaçatı seem to suit the Dane particularly well - "The Beast" is back on course for success after the somewhat disappointing iQFOiL World Championship! Maxi Räuchle, the only German starter in the Open Class, is in eighth place overall after a seventh and an eleventh place.