Max Maeder and Jessie Kampman have become the champions of Poetto Beach after they took out the men’s and women’s titles on a gusty final day at Kitefoil World Series Sardinia.
The fourth and final day of competition started with the Golden Ticket race, a single long-distance battle to see who would grab the final men’s and women’s spot in the 10-rider medal series.
Germany’s Flo Gruber read the gusts and shifts off the shore to earn his place in the men’s repechage while Croatia’s Marija Dolenc grabbed the women’s Golden Ticket.
In the women’s final, France’s Jessie Kampman started on match point thanks to winning the opening series from the previous three days of competition.
The yellow bib wearer soon took up the lead and maintained her advantage all the way to the finish to win her first ever Kitefoil World Series Championship.
Silver and bronze go respectively to Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler and Maggie Pescetto of Italy who earned her first medal in a Kitefoil World Series event.
In the men’s final, the up-and-coming talent from Switzerland, Gian Stragiotti pushed Max Maeder hard all the way to the finish.
But undeterred, the Singaporean was as rock-solid as ever, Maeder seizing an early lead off the start line and taking out men’s victory in a single race.
Experienced Frenchman Axel Mazella took silver, and Stragiotti’s bronze was an immense achievement for the fast-improving 17-year-old. Britain’s Connor Bainbridge made it through the quarter and sami-finals to finish fourth in the final.
Men Final Results (29 entries)
Gold – Max Maeder SGP
Silver – Axel Mazella FRA
Bronze – Gian Stragiotti SUI
4th – Connor Bainbridge GBR
Women Final Results (11 entries)
Gold – Jessie Kampman FRA
Silver – Elena Lengwiler SUI
Bronze – Maggie Pescetto ITA
4th – Gal Zukerman ISR
No GBR Entry
