Medals for USA at French Olympic Week

Hyères, France (April 30, 2022) – After five days of competition in the full range of conditions at the 53rd Semaine Olympique Française (French Olympic Week), it was all light winds today as the top ten in each of the ten Olympic events faced off in the Medal Race format that would finalize the medal winners.

For North America, it was the USA that were the medal winners, with Daniela Moroz capturing gold in the Women’s Formula Kite, while the women’s and men’s skiff teams – Steph Roble/ Maggie Shea (49erFX) and Nevin Snow/ Mac Agnese (49er) – earned silver.

“Going into the finals today I only needed to win one race to win the event,” said Moroz. “It was super light wind so there was a lot of pumping out of tacks and gybes. It was key to stay in the pressure and get to the right side of the course as quickly as possible and I ended up coming away with the win on that first race of the day and securing the gold.”

Snow and Agnese, after parting ways during their Tokyo 2020 campaign, are back in the saddle. “We learned a lot every day and we managed to stay in the top three all six days of the event,” noted Snow. “We’re happy with how we delivered on the goals we set out at the beginning of the event and the results that came in the process of executing on those goals.”

USST Coach Charlie McKee found gains beyond the podium. “Nevin and Mac came back to international competition after a long absence and shocked the fleet with their ability to immediately perform at the highest level.

“Their teammates (and Palma silver medalists) Ian Barrows and Hans Henken were hugely helpful in getting them back up to speed, and the cooperative spirit these athletes displayed showed the true power of ‘Team’ within the resurgent USA skiff program.”

As the skiff classes have changed their masts and sails, it has required a re-education on what works. “The Palma regatta and this regatta in Hyères were our first chance to test the new equipment, so it was a great opportunity to gather some data,” noted Shea. “We found some good settings and some bad settings, and we’re excited to go back to the drawing board this spring and continue progressing before the Europeans and Worlds this summer.”

Event details – Results – Facebook

MORE: Among the North America’s other top performers, Canadian Sarah Douglas was 5th in the ILCA 6, with Mexico’s Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon at 12th in the iQFoil. For the US Team, the list includes Andrew Mollerus/ Ian MacDiarmid (9th, 49er), Ian Barrows/ Hans Henken (11th, 49er), Sarah Newberry/ David Liebenberg (14th, Nacra 17), and Markus Edegran (20th, Men’s Formula Kite).

A field of 751 sailors from over 50 countries had competed at the 53rd Semaine Olympique Française (French Olympic Week) on April 25-30, 2022.

Full report on the Medal Races:

Women’s ILCA 6
1st – POL – Agata Barwinka – 86 points
2nd – FRA – Marie Barrue – 111 points
3rd –FRA – Louise Cervera – 113 points

Poland’s Agata Barwinska had no pressure in all senses, with the gold medal in the bag already yesterday and only 2-3 knots at times in the Medal Race. Although, despite a lead of 21 points over second place – France’s Marie Barrue – she had to wait until 21:05 last night for the results of a protest until she could celebrate.

Behind Barwinska it was very tight. Barrue did just enough to hold onto silver, but if she had dropped on more place from fifth her fellow Frenchwoman Louise Cervera would have overtaken her. And if Cervera, who was third had dropped one more place, Belgium’s Emma Plaaschaert, 4th at the Tokyo Olympics, who won the Medal Race would have taken bronze.

“In the Medal Race I didn’t have to worry, I didn’t have any pressure, said Barwinska. “I was sixth and I was trying to not get anybody in trouble, because I’d already won, so I wanted to leave them to sort out their things and stay away from them.”

Men’s ILCA 7
1st– CYP – Pavlos Kontides – 42 points
2nd – GBR – Elliot Hanson – 43 points
3rd – GBR – Michael Beckett – 50 points

Despite stiff competition, the ILCA 7 lived up to its billing as the Medal Race of the day with Pavlos Kontides, the first Cypriot to ever win an Olympic medal (silver at London 2012), emerging from the mêlée victorious.

Just three points separated four boats at the start and it was a winner-takes-all battle for top three of Germany’s Philip Buhl, Cyprus’s Pavlos Kontides, level on points, and Britain’s Michael Beckett, two points behind. With fellow Briton, Elliot Hanson just one point further back.

Hanson won the Medal Race but Kontides did what he needed to do, with Beckett, the winner in Palma, back in fifth and Buhl, the 2020 World Champion, stuck at the back for the third race in succession.

Pavlos Kontides: “It started light and got lighter. It’s always tricky in these situations because you gain but you can also lose. So, if you’re off the podium you feel really gutted. It’s one of these situations in sport where you feel that you should have four medals. All four guys sailed really well except like one day each.

“I’m really happy. It’s been a hard couple of years for me, especially after Tokyo. Before Tokyo I had issues with my health and it was pretty hard to perform in some events. But I was ready for Tokyo and I just missed the podium.”

Women’s 49erFX
1st – BRA – Martine Grael/ Kahena Kunze – 68 points
2nd – USA – Stephanie Roble/ Margaret Shea – 77 points
3rd – NOR – Helen Næss/ Marie Rønningen – 79 points

Brazil’s double Olympic gold medalists (2016, 2020), Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, took gold, but it was not all plain sailing as the wind dropped.

They led by nine points from the Swedish duo of Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, who started 9 points behind and needed to beat the Brazilians and put four boats between them. That never looked likely as the Brazilians – who finished sixth in the 10-boat fleet – covered them, and with the Americans (12 points behind at the start) at the back of the fleet.

The Swedes got stuck and finished second to last in ninth and America’s Stephanie Robe and Margaret Shea (three points behind the Swedes at the start) jumped into silver by finishing fifth. They needed to as one more place and they would have been beaten by Norway’s Helene Næss and Marie Rønningen, leaders for the first half of the week, who took full advantage of the race at the back to finish the Medal Race second and take bronze.

Men’s 49er
1st – POL – Dominik Buksak/ Szymon Wierzbicki – 66 points
2nd – USA – Nevin Snow/ Maximiliano Agnese – 93 points
3rd – FRA – Erwan Fisher/ Clément Péquin – 94 points

Leading by 17-points overnight, Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki had won the gold after two minutes in the race when one of the French boats were judge OCS at the start, meaning they could not be beaten.

But behind them a battle for silver raged and USA’s Nevin Snow and Mac Agnese prevailed in their match race at the back of the fleet with France’s Erwan Fischer and Clement Pequin, who took bronze.

Women’s Formula Kite
1st – USA – Daniela Moroz
2nd – FRA – Lauriane Nolot
3rd – GBR – Ellie Aldridge

It was the same story in the women’s but it was the vastly experienced Daniela Moroz, USA’s five-time and reigning world champion, doing the dominating. She too just need one race in the final to take gold.

France’s Laurianne Nolot took silver and Britain’s Ellie Aldridge jumped up into bronze from fourth.

Daniela Moroz (USA): “I was able to win right off the bat (in the first race). It was super light wind and right on the edge, so lots of pumping out of tacks and gybes. It was just super heated to stay on the pressure and get on the right side of the course straight away.

“It was a really fun week, a lot of different conditions and sea state, I think we rode almost all of the different kite sizes. It was super tight and really great battles with Lauriane (Nolot).

“It was really cool to be back in Hyères for French Olympic Week after five year and as an Olympic sport.”

Men’s Formula Kite
1st – SGP – Maximilian Maeder
2nd – FRA – Axel Mazella
3rd – FRA – Maxime Nocher

Singapore’s 15-year-old European champion, Maximilian Maeder, underlined his dominance this week by watching the semi-finals and then blasting off the start in the first race of the final and getting the one win he needed to take gold.

He left the best in the world – the French elite, on their home waters – standing. France’s Alex Mazella, who had been a slightly distant second all week, stayed there in the final to take silver with fellow Frenchman, Maxime Nocher jumped from fourth to take bronze.

Maximilian Maeder (SGP): “I’m quite ecstatic, it’s really great, it doesn’t get old. It hasn’t felt easy, not at all. It’s such a tight field. As any sport goes Olympic, the competition becomes very tight, and I guess whenever you can catch a little bit of a break, that gives you a jump ahead when everyone looks so tight.

“I needed one win and luckily managed to seal the deal on the first race. We started in 5-6 knots, but I made sure to do my warm up and I got to observe the races without the stress of racing.

“So, I had a phenomenal start; it’s one I’ll remember. I had space to tack whenever I wanted 20-30 seconds after the start and as soon that happened I really tried to dig in and sink my teeth in to the lead.

[On being 15 and winning so young] “I started racing at 10-11 and for me I’m a competitor and out on the racecourse we’re all just the same people competing whether you’re 35 or 15.”

Women’s and Men’s iQFOIL
The Final Series was cancelled due to a lack of wind with medals awarded on the leaderboard from the first five days.

Women’s iQFOIL
1st – FRA – Hélène Noesmoen – 12 points
2nd – POL – Maja Dziarnowska – 36 points
3rd – FRA – Delphine Cousin – 53 points

Hélène Noesmoen, had been as dominant as her compatriot and fellow World and European champion, Goyard, with 12 wins out of 16 this week.

Hélène Noesmoen (FRA): “I’ve felt nearly faultless, it was a good week and I managed to win races in all wind conditions, so that’s great! The French women did well, it’s a good thing that there are so many people in the Final Series, right up there, that makes the whole team happy.”

Men iQFOIL
1st – FRA – Nicolas Goyard – 15 points
2nd – FRA – Clément Bourgeois – 44 points
3rd – GER – Sebastian Koerdel – 46 points

France’s World and European champion, Nicolas Goyard, had been completely dominant all week winning his last 11 races.

Nicolas Goyard: “I won 11 of the 16 races, that’s clean! It’s a great victory and a good warm-up for the upcoming European championship. I feel ready but I still have to refine my gear a bit. I am confident for the future, there were some good points validated. It was the first time I had raced here, it was a discovery.”

Mixed Nacra 17
1st – ITA – Ruggero Tita/ Caterina Banti – 36 points
2nd – GBR – John Gimson/ Anna Burnet – 54 points
3rd – FIN – Sinem Kurtey/ Akseli Keskinen – 72 points

Italy’s Olympic champions, Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, won gold as expected having dominated all week and taking a 14-point lead into the Medal Race.

It was the same podium as Palma, but with the silver and bronze reversed as Britain’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet took silver, after being carefully covered by the Italians, who were taking no chances, all the way round. That too was expected as they had a 16-point lead over Finland’s Sinem Kurtbay and Akseli Kiskenin, who had a guaranteed bronze, going into the race.

Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti: “It was quite easy, light wind Medal Races are not very exciting. We had a super good week of wind and unfortunately the Medal Race was not so good. But we took the gold medal and are super happy.

“Our mission was to follow the British and make sure that they could not put six boats in between us. We did our job and we had a chance got pass them and we did it and then controlled it.”

Mixed 470
1st – SWE- Anton Dahlberg/ Lovisa Karlsson – 35 points
2nd – FRA – Hippolyte Machetti/ Aloïse Retornaz – 42 points
3rd – GER – Luise Wanser/ Philipp Antenrieth – 51 points

Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg (silver in the Tokyo Olympics last year) and Lovisa Karlsson took gold in tense Medal Race. They had led France’s Hippolyte Machetti and Aloise Retornaz by three points and were at opposite ends of the 10-boat fleet after the first upwind leg. They reeled in the French but only passed them – with many boats complicating things around them – halfway through the last downwind and fought all the way to the line.

Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mahr started in third, seven points behind the Swedes and trying to gain an edge were judged to have crossed the startline too early and were disqualified. That allowed Germany’s Luise Wanser and Philipp Autenrieth, after disastrous results yesterday, to just edge four other boats for bronze.

Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson: “We feel great, it’s been our first event together and to come off in this way is superb. We’re really happy to start the campaign like this.

“Today was quite tight on the points, we knew we could be just behind the French and still beat them and then we had Austrians seven points behind as a bit of a joker. We started windward of them, we wanted to be a little bit in control of them, but being in control in light wind is never easy. We started in five knots but it was 2-3 occasionally.

“The French ended up in the lead at the top mark, and we were a bit further down in the fleet – second to last! And yes, we did get a little bit nervous then. But we both said in the boat on the first downwind that there is not much we can do now, we just need to wait, don’t try to make an opportunity, wait for it. And that opportunity came when closed on the bottom gate at then of that downwind. Everyone squeezed together and we kept cool.

“After the second upwind the French were third and we were fifth; still a little to do! But we felt we have a good opportunity and now we just need to make sure to have the possibility of gybe on them, so the game was simpler and we were building momentum. In the middle of the last downwind we passed them, but it was still tight and it came down to the line. And there were the Germans, the Spanish and the Japanese around too, so we had to focus.”