2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships in Torregrande, Italy - Overall

Lysa Caval was the comeback queen of the final race - 2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships © IKA Media / Robert Hajduk

Any hopes of getting a golden ticket into the medal series Sunday were dashed when a late start forced race officers to begin the day with the semifinals for both men and women.

The final podium places after the finals mirrored Saturday's top three, but to get there, an insane finals in both fleets saw crazy tight position changes and crashes before the champions were crowned.

Super close 4-rider medal series races - 2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships - photo © IKA Media / Robert Hajduk

Comeback Queen

The defining moment of the championship was certainly the first downwind of the women's final.

Lysa Caval of France won the opening series despite damaging her right ankle during a dramatic crash on day one. She went into the first-to-three points finals with two bonus points ahead of Derin Atakan of Türkiye who had one bonus point.

If Caval won the first finals race, she would have the three points she needed to claim the title.

Women's Youth Europeans podium - 2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships - photo © IKA Media / Robert Hajduk

Squeezed out at the start, Caval was back in third ahead of France's Zoe Boutang on the first downwind leg. Under extreme pressure, she put the hammer down, smoked past Magda Woyciechowska of Poland, and arched a pefrect turn in front of Atakan with their kites nearly touching.

She went from third to first in less than a minute. Caval held on to win and is the women's Youth European Champion. Atakan got the silver and Woyciechowska the bronze.

"It's amazing I've never won a finals in my life," said Caval who has won events but never in a finals showdown. "At the end when I crossed the line I said, 'It's done. I did the job and now it's over, I'm so happy."

Maeder and Jankowska win the U17 Europeans - 2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships - photo © IKA Media / Robert Hajduk

The Under 17 riders were pushing the rest of the fleet and Karolina Jankowska of Poland won the women's U17 on her way to an impressive seventh place overall.

Karl Maeder was tenth in the men's fleet and handily won the U17 European title.

Maeder won the open trophy but Pianosi won the Europeans - 2024 Formula Kite Youth European Championships - photo © IKA Media / Robert Hajduk

What an incredible series here at Torregrande. The new Olympic kite and foil equipment allowed for 2028 was on display and new faces were pushing the limits of formula kite racing.

With a few Olympians in the fleet, it's a safe bet that the future women's and men's Olympic medalists were here in Sardinia.

Results Men:

Results Women: