Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

World Sailing confirms Kiteboarding for Youth Olympic Games 2022 and Youth World Championships 2021

by Ian MacKinnon 4 Nov 2019 08:25 PST
2019 Formula Kite Europeans - Day 4 © AlessandroTocco

World Sailing Council and AGM have confirmed kiteboarding events in both the annual World Sailing Youth World Championships, starting 2021 in The Hague (Netherlands), and the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (Senegal).

The World Sailing Youth World Championships will feature the same format as the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a relay format where a male and female kiteboarder compete for medals in a mixed team.

The 2022 Olympic Games will see either a mixed team relay event, individual medals for male and female athletes as in the recent ANOC World Beach Games, or even three events where athletes can compete for individual and team medals.

Although the equipment is currently unconfirmed due to the World Sailing regulation amendment process, it is expected that the same equipment as for Paris 2024 (Formula Kite) will be used for all kiteboarding events.

Using Formula Kite equipment in the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Youth World Championships, and in Regional Games, is seen as the most sustainable and cost-effective option for World Sailings Member National Authorities (MNAs).

Recent events have proven that the Formula Kite equipment is suitable for both adults and youth competitors.

In the inaugural edition of the ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar last month, 18 year old Daniela Moroz (USA) claimed Gold in the women's competition while 14 year old Julia Damasiewicz (POL) claimed Silver.

"We are excited that kiteboarding will be part of the next Youth Olympic Games." said Mirco Babini, IKA president. "With kiteboarding we are able to reach new audiences and athletes from areas of the world that are not often seen in sailing competitions. Having medal winners from the Dominican Republic and the Philippines in the last Youth Olympics is increasing sailing's universality in the Games drastically" he added.

"Including kiteboarding in the World Sailing Youth World Championships is providing a clear pathway for the World Sailing MNAs to progress their youth fleets and prepare for Paris 2024" said Markus Schwendtner, IKA Secretary General. "It is important that the Youth World Championships reflect the events and format of the next Games. We will work with World Sailing over the coming weeks and months to finalise all details so that everyone has enough time to prepare for the first event in 2021.", he concluded.

The IKA Formula Kite class will update their youth strategy in line with the decisions made by World Sailing and support the pathway with individual youth championships for boys and girls commencing in 2021.

The mixed team relay world championship titles will then be awarded through the World Sailing Youth World Championships, while the IKA Formula Kite Class will award the individual (boys and girls) World Championship titles.

Related Articles

Australia's next wave at French Olympic Week
Morris faced light and patchy breeze in the must-win medal showdown French Olympic Week in Hyères delivered everything from the roaring mistral winds that pushed physical limits to the patience-testing light airs that demanded calm and clarity. Posted on 27 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week overall
Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance win bronze medal at Sailing Grand Slam Series event Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance from Chester, N.S., won the bronze medal in 49erFX at the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, French Olympic Week, which was held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA. Posted on 27 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères overall
USA skiffs gold and silver as Italy and China top medal table The final day of the 56th edition of French Olympic Week saw Italy join China at the top of the medal table as they won a medal of every colour across the six Medal Races after China's exploits on Friday. Posted on 26 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 5
Two Canadian boats will take part in Saturday's Medal Races Here are the highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 5 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 25 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 5
Israel deny China triple gold On a day of high pressure - in all senses - and drama in all the Medal series, team power and individual brilliance produced some of the closest board Finals in Hyères history. Posted on 25 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 4
Antonia & Georgia Lewin-LaFrance finished 1st and 4th in the 49erFX The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on day 4 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 24 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 4
Kiteboarders and windsurfers go for Friday gold as shifts play havoc with process On a day in which fortunes shifted as much as the winds, French Olympic Week will have its first Medal Races on Friday as the top 8 men and women kitesurfers and windsurfers battle it out for the podium. Posted on 24 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 3
Clara Gravely is currently ranked 7th overall in the ILCA 6 class The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 3 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 23 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 3
Epic Mistral baptises the next Olympic generation "Epic", "Crazy", "Nothing like it" and many words too colourful to include in a family press release sprang from the excited Mistral-lashed lips and sometimes stunned faces of those Olympic classes last back to the boat park. Posted on 23 Apr
First Ever US Sailing Youth National Team
Made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast US Sailing is pleased to announce the inaugural US Sailing Youth National Team (USYNT), made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast. Posted on 22 Apr
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMVaikobi 2024 December