iQFoil422 starters at the Junior European Championships on Lake Garda

Tobias Frauen

 · 11.07.2023

Young surfers: More than 420 starters took part in the Junior European Championships in iQFoil on Lake Garda
Photo: Elena Giolai
The iQFoiler Junior European Championships came to an end in Torbole at the weekend. After nine days of competition, the new European champions are Fedrico Pilloni (U19 men), Kristyna Pinosova (U19 women), Peleg Rajuan (U17 men) and Medea Falcioni (U17 women).

What a sight to behold: Against the impressive backdrop of Torbole, an incredible 422 iQFoilers from 36 nations took to the water last week. At Lake Garda, the titles in the U19 and U17 age groups were awarded at the Junior European Championships, both for men and women.

From light winds to 22 knots, from sun to rain, Lake Garda offered every conceivable condition. More than ten rounds of course racing and slalom were organised in all categories, plus a marathon on the penultimate day.

Decisions in the Medal Races

In the medal races on the final day, a close three-way battle developed in the U19 men's event between Australia's Harry Joyner, Igor Lewinksi from Poland and Italy's Federico Pilloni. The latter had only been in second place after the heats, but held his nerve in the final and won ahead of Harry Joyner, who had been leading up to this point.

In the U19 women's race, however, the lead changed hands several times in the decisive race. In the end, Kristyna Pinosova from the Czech Republic crossed the finish line first and secured the European Championship title. Carola Colasanto, who was ahead after the heats, took silver, with Danielle Ziv from Israel in third.

In the U17 men's event, the best of the heats, Frenchman Kylian Manhaval, also had to settle for silver in the end. He was overtaken in the final by Peleg Rajuan from Israel, while his compatriot Hoel Quintric took bronze.

Medea Falcioni, who actually belongs to the U15 category, won the women's U17 classification. Already at the Foil World Championship in May she had shown her skills with fourth place in the overall standings. Falcioni fought a close duel with Ada Tan from Turkey in the medal race. Caterina Tomas Cardell, who was in the lead after the heats, took bronze in the end.

The best Germans were Lenny Friemel (63rd place U19 men), Lucy Schleicher (35th place U19 women) and Eddie Burger (79th place U17 men).


Results iQFoil European Junior Championship 2023

U19 Men

  1. Federico Alan Pilloni
  2. Harry Joyner
  3. Igor Lewinski
  4. Davis Mazais
  5. Jacopo Gavioli
  6. Trepczynski Stanislaw
  7. Leonardo Tomasini
  8. Maciek Pietrzak
  9. Boris Shaw
  10. Vidar Nyström

U19 Ladies

  1. Kristyna Pinosova
  2. Carola Colasanto
  3. Danielle Ziv
  4. Darcey Shaw
  5. Maya Gysler
  6. Emma Viktoria Millend
  7. Aleksandra Wasiewicz
  8. Nela Sadilkova
  9. Linda Oprandi
  10. Sofia Hämäläinen

U17 Men

  1. Peleg Rajuan
  2. Kylian Manhaval
  3. Hoël Quintric
  4. Jakub Guzlecki
  5. Artun Şenol
  6. Antonio Medina Rodriguez
  7. Itamar Levi
  8. Gustaw Trybek
  9. Jorge Ruiz Lopez
  10. Kfir Gefen

U17 Ladies

  1. Medea Falcioni
  2. Ada Tan
  3. Caterina Tomas Cardell
  4. Hanna Simon
  5. Maya Barel
  6. Maria Rudowicz
  7. Francesca Maria Salerno
  8. Noa Rajuan
  9. Alba Little Meghnagi
  10. Juliette Napoleone

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Tobi is our digital man, he looks after the surf website and social media channels and gets on everyone's nerves every morning by asking for more pictures and videos. His surfing CV includes all the famous choppy water spots: As a teenager, he went from his home in Münsterland to the Ijsselmeer or the Brouwersdam, and during his civilian service on Sylt, after countless washes on the west side, the Königshafen became his preferred spot. After studying in Kiel and Heidkate, he was supposed to go to Hamburg “only for a short time”, but this short time has lasted for over ten years and has made him a “weekend warrior”. He goes on tour with his family and camper van as often as possible, often to the Baltic Sea, SPO or Denmark, but also likes to go to Finland, Sweden or Sardinia.

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