Rory McKinna GBR and Busra Celik TUR claim first Para Inclusive Sailing golds at the World Abilitysport Beach Games in Turkey.
In the Para Inclusive One Person – Male event, Britain’s Rory McKinna surged to victory with two wins and a second on the final day, earning the Gold Medal ahead of Yuen Wai Foo (HKG) with Silver, and Davide Di Maria (ITA) claiming Bronze.
In the Para Inclusive One Person – Female category a strong finish by Büşra Nur Çelik of Turkey saw her pass teammate Miray Ulaş to break their tie-on points and win the Gold Medal. Silver went to Miray Ulaş (TUR), and Bronze to Coline Robert (FRA).
Eighteen sailors from nine nations — Bahrain, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Italy, Oman, Thailand, Türkiye, and Hong Kong, China — took part. Teams from Hong Kong, China, and Türkiye fielded full squads, each with two male and two female competitors.
The Games brought together 600 athletes from 26 nations across six sports, marking an inspiring milestone for inclusive sport and the global growth of sailing.
This competition marked the debut of Para Inclusive Sailing at a World Abilitysport Games and the boats will remain as a legacy to help more athletes from Turkey and around the world access the sport.
The Türkiye Sailing Federation served as the Organising Authority for the Para Inclusive One Person – Male and Para Inclusive One Person – Female events, raced in a fleet of new International Hansa 303 dinghies provided by the Federation.
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