The 2024 Formula Kite World Championships are about to get underway in Hyères in the South of France. Taking place from 13 to 19 May, this is the last big regatta before kiteboarding makes its Olympic debut at Paris 2024 less than three months from now.
With foiling kiteboarding set to be the fastest of any Olympic sport this summer, these 35-plus knot athletes are working hard to be at their best for the biggest regatta of their lives. But in some ways it’s harder to win a World Championship than an Olympic medal because the fleet is much bigger and some of the best in the world will be absent from the Games.
THE WOMEN: KAMPMAN KEEN TO KEEP WINNING
Jessie Kampman is a case in point. The French rider missed out on selection to the Olympics, beaten to the spot by the 2023 World Champion Lauriane Nolot in a fiercely fought French selection that also included Poema Newland. However on these same waters at the end of April in Hyères, Kampman came away from the Semaine Olympique Francaise with the gold medal, ahead of Britain’s Ellie Aldridge in silver and Nolot with the bronze.
After making a heroic comeback from what was nearly a career-ending injury last season, Kampman is going faster than ever and determined to prove that she remains world class even if she doesn’t get the chance to show her skills at this year’s Olympic Regatta in Marseille.
From further afield beyond Europe are serious contenders for the world title including Australia’s Breiana Whitehead, China’s Jingle Chen and the six-time World Champion Daniela Moroz from the USA.
But probably the most intriguing athlete to watch at this event will be Elena Lengwiler from Switzerland. At the Last Chance Regatta recently in Hyères, the rapidly improving Swiss rider swept the board and claimed one of the final remaining national spots for the Olympics. Such has been her progress over the past few months, it’s quite probable Lengwiler will be challenging for a medal at the Worlds.
THE MEN: PUSHING MAX TO THE MAX
As for the men, the Worlds offer a final chance for the fleet to challenge Max Maeder on a competitive stage before they line up in July for the Games. The 17-year-old from Singapore has kept on getting better and better and has won most major events of recent times including last year’s world title and this year’s Europeans in Spain. Having dominated the Semaine Olympique Francaise in April, Maeder is clearly as at home with the conditions in Hyères as anywhere else.
For the men, this is a last chance regatta of another kind, because it’s up to the likes of Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek and France’s Axel Mazella – respectively the silver and bronze medallists at the Semaine Olympique Francaise – to take the fight to Maeder and prove they are good enough to take the gold. Vodisek was the 2022 World Champion when he narrowly beat Maeder in Sardinia, and Mazella took gold at the Olympic Test Event last summer, so they both know what it takes to win at the highest level.
Having grabbed his Olympic spot at the Last Chance Regatta just over a week ago, Connor Bainbridge finally has that monkey off his back and the British rider can now compete at these Worlds knowing he will be representing his country at Paris 2024. Bainbridge has stood on plenty of podiums over the past few years and now is the Briton’s world-class opportunity to prove he can get back to his very best when it matters the most.
Registrants list can be found here.
Racing begins on 14 May, with the riders splitting into qualifying fleets for the first three days of the six-day competition. The final two days will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook.
Live Stream Pull link: rtmp://live.restream.io/pull/play_3312007_f97e7931ee80208de5df
Text and Photo Credits: International Kiteboarding Association
