Another 25 knot wind, another exciting race: The iQFoil European Championship in Greece shows what the class is capable of and whets the appetite for the 2024 Olympics. On the third day of competition off Patras, the riders were split into the gold and silver groups. Sebastian Kördel, previously in third place, "proved to be the outstanding rider of the day, showing exceptional speed and skills", according to the organisers' summary of the day.
Kördel started with a second place behind Luuc van Opzeeland. The rider from Radolfzell was then able to book the following eleventh place as a streak, after which Kördel crossed the finish line in first place twice. He now leads the overall standings and is well on his way to becoming European Champion after winning the World Championship title. And Kördel is already a hot candidate for a medal at the 2024 Olympics.
Nicolas Goyard, who had previously been in the lead, slipped to third place. The Frenchman did not really get into his stride and had to let Luuc van Opzeeland from the Netherlands and Kördel pass him. Fabian Wolf is in 63rd place, Jonne Heimann in 85th.
Sharon Kantor continues to dominate the women's event, cementing her lead with three wins and a second place yesterday. Behind her - some way behind - is her compatriot Tamar Steinberg. Pilar Lamadrid from Spain is currently third ahead of Sara Wennekes from the Netherlands. Lena Erdil slipped down to 28th place and was overtaken by Theresa Steinlein, who climbed up to 26th place and even came seventh in one run. Alisa Engelmann is in 44th place, Helena Wanser in 80th.
The forecast for the last few days still looks good, so that more races can be run and the marathon, which was postponed yesterday for safety reasons, could also start.
More on the topic:
- iQFoil-EM: Perfect day for Goyard and Kantor, Kördel in 3rd place
- iQFoil-EM: Sebastian Kördel with a strong start, Goyard and Wennekes in the lead
- "I know I can beat anyone!" - Interview with iQFoil world champion Sebastian Kördel
- Who is Olympic hopeful Alisa Engelmann?
- Quick check of the new Olympiaboard iQFoil
