The first results from the ICF SUP World Championships are in, and the 100 m men’s sprint final delivered major surprises in Abu Dhabi this Friday.
Spain’s Sergio Cantoral claimed the world title, unexpectedly defeating defending champion Andrii Kaitor, who was widely considered the clear favorite. Kaitor finished only third, after being overtaken by another surprise podium contender: Vadim Korobov (Lithuania). The largely unknown paddler seized his dark-horse moment, beating Kaitor by 0.46 seconds and missing gold by just 0.07 seconds.
Other standout performances included:
- Rai Taguchi (Japan) in 4th — strong showing after disappearing from the European scene post-Starboard Dream Team exit
- Normen Weber (Germany) in 5th — still a force in the open division at age 40
- Manuel Hoyuela (Spain) in 6th — below expectations compared to his EURO TOUR results
- Nikolas Malekakis (Greece) with a solid finish as a young talent to watch
- Arip Purnama (Indonesia) making history as the first Indonesian paddler ever in an international final
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- Sergio Cantoral – 23.92
- Vadim Korobov – 23.99
- Andrii Kraitor – 24.45
- Rai Taguchi – 25.76
- Normen Weber – 25.81
- Manuel Hoyuela – 25.85
- Nikolaos Malekakis – 26.34
- Arip Purnama – 28.69
Women’s 100 m Sprint Final: Drama, Upsets, and a New World Champion
The women’s final at the ICF SUP World Championships also delivered its share of surprises — starting with a shocking DNF from defending world champion Katniss Paris. After travel delays and board transport issues, Paris arrived in Abu Dhabi at the last minute, but a messy start left her chasing the leaders. In a final push to catch up, she fell off her board just before the finish line, ending her title defense abruptly.
The new World Champion is Marie Carmen Rivera, who was one of the strongest favorites going into the event and delivered when it mattered.
Silver went to Alba Frey, another top athlete with consistent podium results throughout the year.
Bronze was claimed by Seychelle Webster (USA) — a remarkable achievement considering the 14-year age gap between her and the two younger medalists ahead of her.
- Marie Carmen Rivera – 29.22
- Alba Frey – 29.81
- Seycelle Webster – 30.42
- Kyriaki Logotheti – 31.02
- Juliette Duhaime – 31.25
- Marta Apanasewicz – 31.68
- Rika Okuaki – 32.19
- Katniss Paris – DNF
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Notable Juniors and Seniors
Senior 50+ Category
Germany’s Peter Weider claimed his second sprint gold medal, once again proving he is the clear leader in his division. The triple gold medalist from Sarasota dominated the field in Abu Dhabi, winning the sprint by almost a full second ahead of Chris Stringer (Canada) in 2nd place. All eyes are now on Weider, as the SUP world is curious to see whether he can repeat his Sarasota performance across all disciplines.
Junior Men
The junior men’s title went to Andreas Kiousis (Greece) with a time of 25.13, successfully defeating Sarasota’s surprise winner Barbu Matei (Romania), who finished in 25.54.
Junior Women
The junior girls’ final came with its own share of surprises. Missing from the line-up was Cecilia Pampinella, who had an intense showdown with Csillag Kocsis in Sarasota — and that absence changed the dynamics.
Despite entering as the clear favorite, Csillag Kocsis finished only 4th, opening the door for a new Italian world champion: Claudia Postiglione, who took the gold. Alexia Soto (Spain) followed in 2nd, and the big surprise of the day was Hanna Kaminska (Poland), who took 3rd and denied Kocsis a podium spot.