iQFOiL: Emma and Moritz Schleicher take part in the Medal Series off Brest
The penultimate day of the iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships 2025 in Brest delivered thrilling races and emotional moments. In ideal conditions, the final qualifying heats were held to decide who would take part in the Medal Series.
Exciting developments in all classes
In the U17 boys' category, Dutch rider Peyton Dits maintained his leading position at the top of the rankings. His team-mate Finn Brull put in an impressive performance with three race wins and climbed to second place overall. Directly behind him, Moritz Schleicher also moves into the Medal Series in third place. In the semi-final, he will have to compete against Merlijn Boswijk in fourth place and the two winners of the quarter-final. Qualification was particularly close for Diogo Borges De Sousa from Portugal, who won through in a tie against Frantisek Burda from the Czech Republic thanks to better consistency throughout the week and secured the eighth and final place in the Medal Series.
Two races were held in the U19 women's event, and local favourite Salomé Simon caused a stir with a dramatic comeback. She narrowly slipped into the Medal Series in eighth place. "That was a rollercoaster ride. I had a really bad first race and then finished second in the last one. I'm so happy to have made it into the Medal Races tomorrow, it's absolutely crazy. I didn't expect these results. And to do it here in Brest, my home turf, makes it really special," said a delighted Simon. Emma Schleicher is in second place and has the best chance of winning a medal!
There she will face the leader Medea Falconi, who has shown both technical control and tactical skill throughout the week. "I've done well in almost all the races by sticking to strong starts and leading early. I've been working hard on my pumping skills and that has paid off. There was definitely pressure today, it was hard to manage, but I'm happy with the result and hope to maintain it tomorrow," Falcioni explained.
Turkish team strong in the U17 girls' competition
In the U17 girls' category, the Turkish team will be strongly represented in the Medal Series. Parla Kabasakal secured her place in the Grand Final, while Ruya Ugurlu and Ece Melis Bas progressed to the semi-finals. However, Naama Palatnik from Israel, who will start the Grand Final tomorrow with a win, is in the lead.
Five upwind sprint races were held in the U19 men's class, at the end of which Italian Mattia Saoncella came out on top of the overall standings. His consistently strong performance secured him a direct starting place in the Grand Final on the final day. "I managed to finish first in the Medal Series. I'm really happy and very emotional about it. My day was pretty good, I'm happy with my consistency. I just hope that we will have enough wind for the Medal Series tomorrow," said the visibly moved Saoncella after his successful day on the water.
Australian Rory Meehan was also able to secure a direct starting place in the Grand Final with a convincing performance. "Today we completed five upwind sprint races - really successfully. It was great to finally ride proper final series races. Tomorrow I go into the Medal Race in second place. I'm really excited - I'm going to give it my all to get the win," explained Meehan after the races. By contrast, the previous leader in the U19 class, Peleg Rajuan from Israel, suffered a setback and will have to compete in the quarter-finals.
iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championship - Medal Races
U19 Men
- 1st Mattia Saoncella
- 2nd Rory Meehan
- 3rd Kylian Manhaval
- 4th Garrett January
- 5 Peleg Rajuan
- 6 Malthe Lillelund
- 7th Artun Senol
- 8th Felix Dary
U19 Women
- 1 Medea Falcioni
- 2nd Emma Schleicher
- 3. Francesca Salerno
- 4th Alba Klein
- 5 Nurhayat Güven
- 6 Yfke van der Meer
- 7 Nora Rajuan
- 8th Salomé Simon
U17 boys
- 1. peyton dits
- 2. fin Brull
- 3rd Moritz Schleicher
- 4th Merlijn Boswijk
- 5 Pierluigi Caproni
- 6 Enrico Patiño Riutord
- 7th Oscar Florin
- 8th Diogo Borges de Sousa
U17 girls
- 1. naama Palatnik
- 2nd Parla Kabasakal
- 3. Ruya Ugurlu
- 4th Ece Melis Bas
- 5th Garance Chatelier-Daisy
- 6. Maria Miarczynska
- 7 Noa Koren
- 8 Théa Le Borgne Zibetti
