Cappuzzo & Suardiaz defend their titles
The GWA Wingfoil World Cup Leucate so far has treated spectators to three exhilarating days of relentless competition. As the final day approached, following the crowning of our champions in the Surf-Freestyle discipline, we transitioned seamlessly back into the FreeFly-Slalom discipline.
Leucate presented ideal conditions for the second day of racing, boasting 25-30 knot winds and clear skies.
Following the completion of men’s eliminations one and two, as well as women’s elimination two the previous day, we swiftly proceeded to round two of the women’s competition.
The revised FreeFly-Slalom format undoubtedly intensified the pressure on riders, as perfection in the initial four rounds didn’t guarantee victory; only the top performer in the final round could claim the win.
It was again Nia Suardiaz (ESP) already holding the title in the FreeFly-Slalom discipline from the previous year, the odds were in her favour. The Spaniard kicked off with a strong start, clinching victory in the first three rounds of the Free-Fly Slalom discipline and establishing a significant lead over her competitors.
But in the fourth elimination of the women’s, we saw Kylie Belloeuvre (FRA) successfully advancing, showing that she has been putting in the hours during the off-season.
In the women’s final, the battle for second place was tightly contested between Belloeuvre and Mar De Arce (ESP), both pushing themselves to the limit. Ultimately, it was Kylie who emerged victorious taking the second place.
In the finals of the men’s division we saw Julien Rattotti (FRA), Riccardo Zorzi (ITA), Bastien Escofet (FRA), and Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA) battling it out.
Despite Escofet’s strong performance throughout the competition, he unfortunately faltered in the final race taking a big wipeout.
It was a tight battle for second between Julien Rattotti and Riccardo Zorzi but it was Rattotti who grabbed the second place.
But in the end all eyes were on the reigning world champion Francesco Cappuzzo in the finals who showed his determination, powering towards the finish line to overtake both Rattotti and Zorzi.
Women
1 Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
2 Mar de Arce (ESP)
3 Sofia Marchetti (ITA)
4 Christina König (GER)
Men
1 Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA)
2 Julien Rattotti (FRA)
3 Riccardo Zorzi (ITA)
4 Bastien Escofet (FRA)
Relive the GWA Wingfoil World Cup in Leucate, France by following the live scoring and live ticker on the GWA website. For all the competition updates and behind-the-scenes moments, check out our Instagram.
