- Britain’s Ellie Aldridge finished with Bronze at the 2022 Gizzeria KiteFoil World Series.
Aldridge won her semi-final to move into the four-board Women’s Final with Daniela Moroz USA, Poema Newland FRA and Lauriane Nolot FRA.
Nolot carried two championship points into the final for winning qualifying in such dominant fashion the day before. While Moroz carried one championship point through from finishing second in qualifying.
Aldridge and Newland had won their respective semi-finals earlier in the afternoon but would have to win three races to take the title.
Nolot was marginally the fastest starter. All four riders tacked at the same time on the starboard layline and Nolot held a small lead as they blasted around the windward mark.
From there Nolot extended, always looking comfortable in a straight line and through every manoeuvre, to cross the finish line in first place, the gold medal secured. Moroz took silver and Aldridge bronze.
Dennis Taradin CYP successfully defended the men’s title that he won a year ago in Gizzeria.
Taradin had two championship points and only needed to win one race more to take the title. Toni Vodisek SLO qualified in second place, with one championship point to his name.
Also in the four-rider final were two young Italians, Lorenzo Boschetti and Riccardo Pianosi.
Vodisek made the early running with Taradin looking strong off the start line. by the finish it looked like it was set for a photo-finish between the two rivals but Taradin found a last ounce of speed to charge across the line in first place. Vodisek took silver with bronze going to Boschetti.
Britain’s Connor Bainbridge finished third in the semi-final stage.
Reigning Youth World Champion in the A’s Youth class, Gian Stragiotti SUI, proved a class apart this week as he won both gold fleet races on the final day to win the Europeans by a massive margin.
Jan Koszowski POL took silver well ahead of Giuseppe Paolillo ITA in bronze.
