Cagliari Waiting for the Sardinia Grand Slam: Maeder and Kampman to defend the World Series Lead
Sun 29th Sep, 2024 @ 9:00 am
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The Olympic rematch takes place in Cagliari, and the second stage of the Kitefoil World Series will be from October 1st to 5th. Italian Olympic athletes Pianosi and Pescetto, Boschetti, Laporte, Marx, and Paolillo will compete in the race.
The kiteboarding family is “flying” full sail towards Cagliari. The Sardinian capital will host the Sardinia Grand Slam, the second and decisive IKA Kitefoil World Series round, from October 1st to 5th. Now in its eighth edition, this major autumn classic will bring, as usual, the top international stars of the discipline to the Golfo degli Angeli (Gulf of Angels), including several athletes back from the Olympic debut of kiteboarding at Paris 2024.
The frontrunner for victory is reigning World champion Maximilian Maeder. Winner of the 2023 Sardinia Grand Slam and bronze medalist at the 2024 Olympics, Maeder comes from victories in the IKA KiteFoil World Series opening round in Traunsee (Austria) and the Asian KiteFoil Championship in Daishan, China. The rival list is outstanding, starting with the European Formula Kite champion Axel Mazella, a two-time winner of the Sardinia Grand Slam (2019 and 2021), and the Italians.
The competitors will include Riccardo Pianosi, European and World vice-champion in Formula Kite and fourth at the Paris Olympics, and Lorenzo Boschetti, who has always had a special connection with the Gulf of Angels. Born in Marche and Emilia-Romagna, respectively, both Italian talents live in Cagliari. Croatian Martin Dolenc and Frenchman Benoit Gomez, second and third in Austria, respectively, won’t leave any stone unturned to take the 2024 title.
The standout name in the Women’s field is 24-year-old French Jessie Kampman, another familiar face for Italian kite enthusiasts, given her frequent presence in Cagliari in recent years. Silver medalist at the 2022 Europeans, she has shone this year by winning the French Olympic Week (ahead of Lauriane Nolot and Elly Aldridge) and securing bronze at the Formula Kite World Championships in Hyères before debuting with a victory in the KiteFoil World Series’ first round in Traunsee. Another exciting sporting battle is expected with Swiss rider Elena Lengwiler and Israeli athlete Gal Zuckerman, who pushed Kampman hard in Austria. After taking in Paris 2024, Maggie Eillen Pescetto will do her best to climb the World Series ranking andana Laporte.
The sixth stop of Poetto Beach, October 1st, will be dedicated to athlete registration and the opening ceremony. Opening Series races will occur from October 2nd to 4th, starting at 11 AM, along with the activities at Sardinia Grand Slam village. On Saturday, October 5th, the Medal Race will begin at 10 AM, followed by the award ceremony at 5 PM.
Promoted by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Department of Tourism, Handicrafts and Commerce, the Sardinia Grand Slam is organized by GLEsport, with the technical-sporting collaboration of Chia Wind Club, under the aegis of IKA (International Kiteboarding Association) and the FIV (Italian Sailing Federation), and with the support and sponsorship of the Municipality of Cagliari, Departments of Sports and Tourism. Partners of the Sardinia Grand Slam include Playcar and USE.
Credits Robert Hajduk/IKA Media
Find out more here.
