The iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games in Torbole on Lake Garda reached their climax with an exciting final. After five days of intense competition the winners were determined in the U19 and U17 categories for men and women respectively. The event, organised by Circolo Surf Torbole in collaboration with the International iQFOiL Youth&Junior Class and the Italian Sailing Federation, attracted 215 athletes from 23 nations.
On the penultimate day of the competition, the focus was on the sprint slalom. Despite only a light southerly breeze, the wind remained stable so that all fleets were able to complete a full round of sprint races. The U19 and U17 men's fleets were divided into gold and silver groups based on the overall results of the first three days. The main goal for the top ranked athletes was to secure a place in the top 8 and qualify for the Medal Series on Saturday.
Dramatic decisions in all classes
In the U19 men's category, Italian-Canadian athlete Valentino Blewett secured overall victory. In the final, he beat Frenchman Leopold Brisedou and Swiss Robin Zeley through. The semi-final in this fleet was particularly dramatic, as three out of six drivers received early start penalties. "It was a good final for me, I led from the first mark and stayed in control to take the win!" commented Valentino Blewett. "The whole week went really well, but I'm especially happy with this last day. I was able to fight my way up to first position, so I'm very happy with this event." The best German in this class was Nils Präger in 31st place, with Matti and Max Winkler in 37th and 43rd and Eddie Burger finishing in 50th place.
In the U19 women's competition, Italy's Medea Falcioni and Francesca Maria Salerno fought an exciting duel. Falcioni ultimately came out on top, followed by Salerno and Turkey's Nurhayat Güven in third place. "My week was definitely great, I was able to win almost every race, it was really amazing!" said an elated Medea Falcioni. "We had different conditions and I'm really happy with how I performed in all of them, including my starts." Emma Schleicher made it through to the medal races and finished in an excellent sixth place.
Dutch dominance and Turkish triumph
In the U17 men's class, there was a Dutch double victory. Finn Brüll came out on top ahead of his compatriot Merlijn Boswijk, while Frantisek Burda from the Czech Republic took third place. "It was definitely a week of ups and downs. The beginning of the week didn't go so well for me, but it got better and better as the week went on, and the best part was this last race," explained Finn Brüll after his victory in the Grand Final. Like his sister Emma, Moritz Schleicher also fought his way into the medal races in this class, finishing eighth in the end.
The Turkish athletes dominated the U17 women's competition. Rüya Ugurlu and Parla Kabasakal took first and second place, followed by Israel's Noa Koren in third. Italy's Ginevra Giunti put in a strong performance and finished fourth after a hard-fought semi-final. "The week went really well and I enjoyed all the races, especially the medal race today," commented Rüya Ugurlu. "I took the lead right at the start and kept it until the finish, I'm so happy."
Many of the participants are already looking ahead to the next big events. Valentino Blewett is planning to take part in the Senior World Championships in Aarhus (4 - 11 July), while the Youth & Junior World Championships in Brest (24 - 31 July) are the next big goal for most of the young athletes.
Results iQFOiL Youhth & Junior Games Torbole 2025
U19 Men
- Valentino Blewett
- Leopold Brisedou
- Robin Zeley
U19 Ladies
- Medea Falcioni
- Francesca Maria Salerno
- Nurhayat Güven
U17 Men
- Finn Brüll
- Merlijn Boswijk
- Frantisek Burda
U17 Ladies
- Rüya Ugurlu
- Parla Kabasakal
- Noa Koren