375 Under 19 athletes from 35 nations will battle it out for the biggest title of the year
Sa Ràpita, Mallorca, October 27, 2024 – The 2024 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships are set to begin in Sa Ràpita, Mallorca, from October 27th to November 2nd, welcoming the world’s best young windsurfers. Organized by Vela CN Sa Rapita in cooperation with the International iQFOiL Youth & Junior Class Association under the delegation of the Real Federación Española de Vela, this event showcases the future stars of iQFOiL, competing across the U19 and U17 divisions in both men’s and women’s categories.
Athletes to Watch
In the U19 Women’s division the one to watch is undoubtedly the 2024 Youth Sailing World Champion, Carola Colasanto (ITA 239) winning it mid July in Lake Garda at the event organized by World Sailing in which only one athlete per country can be selected to attend. Danielle Ziv (ISR 369), who placed 2nd at the 2024 U19 European Championships, and Nela Sadílková (CZE 80), the 3rd-place finisher at the same event, are among the top competitors. Medea Falcioni (ITA 57), only 14 years old, has already made a name for herself as the 2024 U19 European Champion, despite technically being in the U15 category. Additionally, Francesca Maria Salerno (ITA 9), the 2023 U17 World Champion, and Maya Gysler (NOR 21), who has placed highly in both U23 and Senior European Championships, are strong contenders.
On the men’s side, Federico Pilloni (ITA 286) is the 2024 U19 Youth Sailing World Champion and with Leonardo Tomasini (ITA 155), reigning 2023 U19 World Champion and 2024 European Champion, will face tough competition with athletes like Antonio Medina Rodríguez (ESP 10), Kylian Manhaval (FRA 1908), and Noam Kobel (SUI 101), each holding high rankings in recent championships, are poised for strong performances.
In the U17 Women’s category, Martina Mantovani (ESP 636), a double medalist in recent championships, and Maria Rudowicz (POL 71), the 2024 U17 European Champion, are ones to watch. In the U17 Men’s, David Aleshko (ISR 688) and Pierluigi Caproni (ITA 10) hold recent European Championship placements and aim for podium finishes in Mallorca.
Competition Format
The competition will begin with the Qualifying Series, where 375 sailors will compete for a spot in the Final Series: the top 50 percent will move on to the Gold Fleet, while the remaining competitors will race in the Silver Fleet. Following these rounds, the top 10 ranked boards overall will advance to the Medal Race Series, organized as follows:
Quarter Final
The boards ranked 4th to 10th overall after the Opening/Final Series will compete in the Quarter Final race.
The top 2 finishers from this Quarter Final race will advance to the Semi Final.
Semi Final
The Semi Final race includes the top 2 finishers from the Quarter Final, along with the boards ranked 2nd and 3rd overall from the Opening/Final Series.
The top 2 finishers from the Semi Final will advance to the Grand Final.
Grand Final
The Grand Final race consists of the top 2 finishers from the Semi Final and the board ranked 1st overall from the Opening/Final Series.
The winner of the Grand Final will be declared the overall champion of the event, while the second and third positions will be awarded based on their final standings in the Grand Final.
This unique format adds intensity to the final stages of the competition, ensuring that every race in the Medal Series can impact the outcome.
This event not only highlights the rising talents of the iQFOiL class but also demonstrates the intensity and skill within youth windsurfing and it is a glimpse in the future of this growing discipline.
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