Agios Nikolaos On SUP 2023 Sees Global Participation

CRETE, Greece - With great success and dynamic participation of professional and amateur SUP athletes from all over Greece and the world, the Agios Nikolaos on SUP 2023 was held on the weekend of 7-9 July in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, under the organization of the Municipal Company of Agios Nikolaos (DAEAN), the Nautical Sports Association of Agios Nikolaos (NASAN), the Cultural Sports Organization of the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos (PAODAN), in cooperation with the International Canoe Federation (ICF), the Greek Canoe - Kayak Federation (EOKK), and the support of the Region of Crete for the first time.

An event that has become an institution in the Greek SUP capital that has managed to conquer the position it deserves next to SUP destinations around the world! This year, the challenge was even greater, as official races were held simultaneously for both world and national rankings. Agios Nikolaos on SUP 2023 was a station for the National Long Distance Championship (ages 2006 and older) and National Development Championship (Sprint & Technical, ages 2007 and younger) as well as for the ICF World Cup. In fact, it was the only ICF SUP WORLD CUP in Europe for 2023 and the first in Greece. It is worth highlighting that the Greek Canoe Kayak Federation (EOKK) had not organized a world event since 2006. Respectively, in Agios Nikolaos, a world-level race had not been organized by IOAN, ISAF and the Greek sailing federation since 2006.

This year's event was attended by more than 270 SUP athletes from 21 different countries (Greece, England, Sweden, Italy, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Romania, Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Fiji, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey). With their presence and participation, young and adult athletes from 17 SUP clubs of Crete and the rest of Greece supported the event.

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

Agios Nikolaos on SUP 2023 was a true celebration of the sport of SUP and the community surrounding it. The crowd and SUP enthusiasts had the opportunity to watch top SUP athletes up close and enjoy the atmosphere of this unique sporting event. All participants competed enthusiastically, young and adults alike, in the same World Cup rhythm, giving a unique spectacle and attracting the admiration of the audience!

Agios Nikolaos SUP has undoubtedly become a famous international event in the world of SUP. Through the excellent organization - as the participants themselves state - the race attracts top athletes from all over the world and promotes the development of the Greek SUP community. This year's event further established Agios Nikolaos as a top destination for SUP enthusiasts, who are attracted by the city's breathtaking scenery, warm hospitality, and unique opportunities to practice their favorite sport. 

Day 1: Technical Races

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The first day started at EOT beach (Kimzu Sea Lounge) with the Technical SUP races for all ages with a lot of thrills and action! Juliette DuHaime with a very efficient strategy in the final, made the attack at the end and won the race, while Christian Andersen easily won the men's race. But for the second and third place, there was a big battle with a lot of shuffling in the race, where the experienced Paolo Marconi surprised by taking second place!

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The big winners of the day were:

• In the Women's category: 1st Juliette DuHaime (Argentina), 2nd Caroline Küntzel (Denmark) and 3rd Cecilia Pampinella (Italy).
• In the Men's category: 1st Christian Andersen (Denmark), 2nd Paolo Marconi (Italy) and 3rd Davide Alpino (Italy).
• In the category Women 40+: 1st Ioanna Mattheaki Roussoglou - coach of the organizing club (NASAN), 2nd Irini Dandoulaki and 3rd Chrysoula Mavrakaki.
• In the category Men 40+: 1st George Fragos (Greece), 2nd Artem Avramenko (Ukraine) and 3rd Alessandro Sapigni (Italy).
• In the category Women 50+: 1st Panagiota Tsaoutou (Greece), 2nd Sara Oddera (Italy) and 3rd Anna Occhiogrosso (Italy).
• In the category Men 50+: 1st Eleftherios Maroulakis (Greece), 2nd Daniele Cani (Italy) and 3rd Bojan Bernard (Slovenia).
• In the category Inflatables Men: 1st Stignei Denis (Romania), 2nd Culea Gabriel (Romania) and 3rd Giannis Kyriakakis (Greece).

The athletes of Agios Nikolaos Cliff Diving 2023 - which was held the same weekend - could not resist the "temptation" of the event and tried to "Sup-around"!

Day 2: Sprint Races

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The second day of racing found the athletes again at EOT beach, this time for Sprint races with the adrenaline pumping and the battles in the water getting stronger!

The big winners of the day were:

• In the category Women 40+: 1st in Sprint in her category Ioanna Mattheaki Roussoglou! 2nd Eleftheria Tsagaraki and 3rd Chrysoula Mavrakaki.
• In the Women 50+ category the podium was formed exactly as in the Technical. 1st Panagiota Tsaoutou (Greece), 2nd Sara Oddera (Italy) and 3rd Anna Occhiogrosso (Italy).
• In the category Men 50+: 1st George Samniotis (Greece), 2nd Daniele Cani (Italy) and 3rd Eleftherios Maroulakis (Greece).

Late in the afternoon of the same day, the action continued at Lake Voulismeni in the centre of Agios Nikolaos where the men's - women's and men's 40+ finals were held. The crowded audience enjoyed a thrilling spectacle with the athletes experiencing a strong race with applause. Alessandro Sapigni (Italy) was 1st, Artem Avramenko (Spain) 2nd and Fedul Victor (Romania) 3rd on the Sprint podium in the men's 40+ category of the World Cup.

Photos courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The women's sprint final race was very strong, highlighting the winners and sending on the podium, 1st Caroline Küntzel (Denmark) who was in her element with 2nd Cecilia Pampinella (Italy) and 3rd Juliette DuHaime (Argentina).

On the sprint podium in the men's category were 1st Andrey Kraytor (Bulgaria), 2nd Filippo Mercuriali (Italy) and 3rd Christian Andersen (Denmark).

A really powerful and at the same time "dramatic" moment that left us speechless for a while, was when athlete Phaedon Doukas (Greece), while he was about to cross the finish line in second place and climb the World Cup podium, lost his balance and fell into the water a few meters before the finish! A huge twist that will be remembered for a long time! 

Day 3: Distance race

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The third and last day of the event was dedicated to the ultimate endurance test - the long-distance race (13.5km). More than 120 people entered the water track and lived a thrilling experience starting from Agia Marina beach, at the Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa hotel in Plaka, Elounda, with Spinalonga in the background and finishing at Lake Voulismeni.

The weather had shown signs of getting "wild" from the previous days. The long-distance race this year was one of the most enjoyable races that have been held in Agios Nikolaos, with very favorable conditions for downwind racing, with wind gusts that at the start typically reached 7-8 Beaufort! The appropriate wind direction throughout the route offered enough waves to satisfy the athletes who preferred these conditions. A remarkable success for Greece is the 2nd place for Tasos Tsouris at the World Cup!

Photo courtesy: Agios Nikolaos On SUP

The winners of the third and last day in the long distance were:

• In the Women's category: 1st young Cecilia Pampinella (Italy), 2nd Anna Tschirky, (Switzerland) and 3rd Juliette DuHaime (Argentina).
• In the Men's category: 1st Christian Andersen (Denmark), 2nd Anastasios Tsouris (Greece) and 3rd Davide Alpino (Italy).
• In the category Women 40+: 1st Eleftheria Tsagaraki, 2nd Ioanna Mattheaki Roussoglou and 3rd Chrysoula Mavrakaki.
• In the category Men 40+: 1st George Fragos (Greece), 2nd Alessandro Sapigni (Italy) and 3rd Konstantinos Konstantinou.
• In the category Women 50+: 1st Panagiota Tsaoutou (Greece), 2nd Sara Oddera (Italy) and 3rd Anna Occhiogrosso (Italy).
• In the category Men 50+: 1st Daniele Cani (Italy), 2nd Eleftherios Maroulakis (Greece) and 3rd Nikolaos Markakis.

Katrin Arampatzidis (Masters Women 50+) who did the race with an inflatable board - and not a racing board - and managed a feat and finished the long distance in these windy conditions, also deserves a special "Kudos"! She deserves great congratulations!

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