iQFoil Games: Luuc van Opzeeland and Sharon Kantor win season finale on Lanzarote

At the last iQFoil event of the season on Lanzarote, world champions Luuc van Opzeeland and Sharon Kantor underlined their top form just eight months before the Olympic Games. After an impressive performance in the heats, both also won the Medal Races off the Marina Rubicon. Fabian Wolf was the best German in the men's race in 37th place, Jakob Ditzen came 78th, while Theresa Steinlein just missed out on the medal races in the women's race in 12th place and Alisa Engelmann came 24th. Sebastian Kördel, runner-up at the World Championships and medal hopeful for 2024, was not present in Lanzarote.

A total of 160 starters from 30 nations travelled to Lanzarote, where the Foil Challenge had been held just a few days earlier. On the very first day, Sharon Kantor from Israel took the lead in the women's field and never relinquished it until the final day. Theresa Steinlein started with a strong third place in the first slalom, but was unable to match this result afterwards. In the men's event, Nicolo Renna, Nicolas Goyard and Kieran Badloe were tied on points after day 1, before Luuc van Opzeeland took the lead on the second day in light winds and lots of waves. Second and third places were also taken by Nacho Baltasar and Joost Vink.

On the third day of the regatta, the fields were divided into gold and silver fleets, with 15 knots of wind providing plenty of action on the water. While Nacho Baltasar dropped back due to board damage, Luuc van Opzeeland maintained his top position. Behind him, Nicolo Renna and Nicolas Goyard moved back onto the podium, while Sharon Kantor remained in front in the women's race. The Israeli was followed by her compatriot Katy Spychakov and Emma Wilson from Great Britain.

The Medal Races provide ascents and descents

There were no changes to the leading positions in the marathon on the fourth day of the competition. Luuc van Opzeeland won the race around the island of Los Lobos off Fuerteventura in 49 minutes and could even afford to skip one of the course races scheduled for the afternoon and take it as a stringer. Sharon Kantor also won her races and went into the medal races in the lead.

There, the positions behind the leaders were shaken up once again. Brit Finn Hawkins and PWA Worldcupper Johan Søe from Denmark took the top spots in the men's quarter-finals and the semi-finals. Luuc van Opzeeland was then unbeatable in the final, but it was still an impressive rise to the podium for both of them. In the women's event, it was Tamar Steinberg from Israel who moved up from fourth place to second place. She pushed Katy Spycharov into bronze place and ensured an all-Israeli podium. Nicolas Goyard and Emma Wilson, who had been in third place recently, slipped down a few places in the Medal Races.

Results iQFoil Games Lanzarote

Gents

• 1st Luuc van Opzeeland
• 2. Finn Hawkins
• 3. Johan Søe
• 4th Nicolas Goyard
• 5 Nicolo Renna
• 6 Tom Reuveny
• 7 Kiran Badloe
• 8th Nacho Baltasar Summers
• 9th Yoav Omer
• 10th Max Castelein
• 37th Fabian Wolf
• 78 Jacob Ditzen

Ladies

• 1st Sharon Kantor
• 2 Tamar Steinberg
• 3. Katy Spycharov
• 4th Islay Watson
• 5 Emma Wilson
• 6 Daniela Peleg
• 7th Palma Cargo
• 8 Sara Wennekes
• 9th Pilar Lamadrid
• 10 Marta Magetti
• 12th Theresa Steinlein
• 24 Alisa Engelmann

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