New SUP World Champions Crowned in Denmark

COPENAHGEN, Denmark - Spain won its first-ever ISA Team Gold Medal on an exciting final day of the 2024 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC). A full day of SUP Sprint Races on the steps of Copenhagen’s iconic Royal Library saw Alba Frey (ESP) and David Leão (BRA) crowned as brand new World Champions.

Frey’s win came in the final race of the event and put a bow on her team’s decisive victory. After taking the Team Silver Medal for the past three consecutive events, the Spanish team were ecstatic; most jumped into the water in their clothes to celebrate Frey’s win and the team’s victory. A Silver Medal finish in the men’s race for Manuel Hoyuela (ESP) brought the team’s overall count to 13 individual medals, along with their Silver Medal in the Team Relay Race.

Women's SUP Sprint final. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

The women’s SUP Sprint Race Final was extremely tight and packed with talent. Featuring three of the four medalists from 2023, Frey was the sole finalist not to hold a medal from the previous event. Defending World Champion Mélanie Lafenetre (FRA) and two-time SUP Sprint medalists Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR) and Cecilia Pampinella (ITA) brought strong competition to a fast Final, but Frey had the confidence that if she was the first to the buoy that she would win, and that was exactly how it played out. Pampinella pushed hard to win her first Silver Medal in the race, while Rivera collected her second Bronze and Lafenetre took Copper.

“This is a dream come true,” Frey said. “I've been working so hard the last year, and when I knew I was going to do sprints in ISA I trained hard and sacrificed a lot of time. I'm so happy because I knew that was going to happen. It's incredible being part of this team, we've been working so hard the last two years, winning the Silver Medal, and we were fighting to get the Gold Medal. We are like a family, and we are all friends, and we're working towards the same goal. We're so happy to be part of this, it's a dream.”

Similar to the women’s Final, three of the four men’s medalists had previously shared a Final, theirs in 2022. Denmark’s own Christian ‘Polar Bear’ Andersen was one of those three, along with defending champion Noic Garioud (FRA) and David Leão (BRA), with Manuel Hoyuela (ESP) the sole new finalist. Andersen managed a strong win over 2019 World Champion Claudio Nika (ITA) in the Quarterfinals but ended up matching his 2022 Copper Medal. Garioud fought hard but was outpaced by Leão and Hoyuela, who both started well and had clean buoy turns. Leão kept the lead throughout and finished strong. Putting all of his focus into the single race paid off for the 23-year-old, who was extremely excited to win his first World Title.

David Leao of team Brazil. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

“This moment is really special,” Leão said. “We work a lot, so many years. My first World Championship was here in Denmark. It was my first international trip when I was young. So, to come back here seven years later and be a World Champion. For sure, it's the confirmation and the process to make it happen. Everything, you know, just keep it, motivation, just keep it, work hard in our dreams. And when is the day, it's the day.”

Heading into the day, Japan had the opportunity to take the lead from Spain, and all was looking good as Rai Taguchi (JPN) and Rika Okuaki (JPN) advanced into the SUP Sprint Race Semifinals with strong performances. Unfortunately, both narrowly missed out on making the Final, but the team has improved every year since their first WSUPPC team medal in 2022, winning Copper that year, Bronze in 2023 and now the Silver Medal in 2024.

After winning the Gold Medal for three consecutive years, France earned the Team Bronze Medal, while Pampinella’s Silver Medal delivered Italy the Copper, just 18 points ahead of England.

Rai Taguchi, team Japan. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

Speaking by video, ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“I’m so excited that we had such an amazing competition all these days. Incredible racing, amazing hosts. I hope that all of you had an amazing time refreshing old friendships, making new friends, and are ready to go home as ambassadors of that beautiful country of Denmark and Copenhagen.

“Congratulations to all the medalists. If you're not going home with medals, still big congratulations. You're a hero in your country. You represented your flags, your national colors. You should be proud of it for the rest of your life.”

Technical Races

Csillag-Virag Kocsis bringing it home to Hungary. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

Six World Champions were crowned at Copenhagen’s Amager Strandpark on a beautiful afternoon with great conditions. Light winds again allowed for fast races on the three-kilometer course that made use of a large amount of buoy turns to add a high element of technicality to the flat water.

Following on from the legacy of the Hasulyo brothers, Csillag-Virag Kocsis was able to win Hungary their first ISA Gold Medal since 2018. Despite two early falls from Kocsis in the girl’s Junior SUP Technical Race, the 17-year-old was able to keep pace with Alexia Soto (ESP), the pair fighting for the lead for much of the course, with two-time defending champion Cecilia Pampinella (ITA) and two-time medalist Soryn Preston (USA) battling behind. Kocsis found a strong breakaway on the final lap, finishing nearly 18 seconds ahead of Soto, who won the Silver Medal, with Preston taking Bronze, Pampinella, Copper.

“I feel like this is the crown of my career so far,” Kocsis said. “It's unbelievable that all those hard trainings, you know, early rises, all the sacrifices me and my family made throughout this journey. I feel like it's finally worth it and I'm just super happy to be here.”

Kotaro Miyahara takes the win for Japan. | Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

The four medalists in the boy’s Junior SUP Technical Race broke into a lead pack early and maintained their distance from the rest of the field throughout. Nicolo Ricco (ITA) led during the beginning stages, before Kotaro Miyahira (JPN) took over on the second lap, building an 11 second lead into a 23 second lead by lap three. Miyahira powered to finish strong, completing the three-kilometer flatwater race in 17 minutes, 33 seconds and winning Japan their first Gold Medal in the race. Two-time defending champion Vaic Garioud (FRA) spent much of the course battling Lluis Peroti (ESP), with Ricco’s initial lead slowing and the three finished fairly tight with Peroti taking the Silver Medal, Garioud, Bronze, and Ricco, Copper.

It was an emotional win for Rai Taguchi (JPN), who claimed his first Gold Medal today in the men’s SUP Technical Race. The 20-year-old managed to finish ahead of a stacked field even after falling twice and catching up from far behind. Aaron Sanchez (ESP) maintained the lead for much of the time and finished a close second to take the Silver Medal, with Riccardo Rossi (ITA) and Clément Colmas (FRA) slightly further back in the Bronze and Copper Medal positions, respectively.

Duna Gordillo, team Spain. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

2022 SUP Distance Race Gold Medalist Duna Gordillo (ESP) claimed her first medal in the SUP Technical Race today. The 21-year-old has consistently battled for medals with her teammate Esperanza Barreras (ESP) in the Distance Race, but today the pair battled it out for the Gold Medal in the Technical Race. It was tight throughout the race between the two, as well as with Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR), but Gordillo managed to get the jump on the final stretch and win 3 seconds ahead of Barreras, the back-to-back defending champion, with Rivera another 3 seconds behind in third and Anais Guyomarch (FRA) a more distant fourth.

“I can't believe it,” Gordillo said. “With Espe (Barreras), we always compete together and at the final whoever wins, wins. But yes, I like so much to compete with Espe and she is a strong woman. For me, Team Spain is always the best. We never win a World Cup but I think this is the year. We're looking forward to the team relay tomorrow.”

RESULTS

Team

Gold – Spain
Silver – Japan
Bronze – France
Copper – Italy

Women’s SUP Sprint Race

Gold – Alba Frey (ESP)
Silver – Cecilia Pampinella (ITA)
Bronze – Melanie Lafenetre (FRA)
Copper – Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR)

Men’s SUP Sprint Race

Gold – David Leão (BRA)
Silver – Manuel Hoyuela (ESP)
Bronze – Noic Garioud (FRA)
Copper – Christian Andersen (DEN)

Boy’s Junior SUP Technical Race

Gold – Kotaro Miyahira (JPN)
Silver – Lluis Peroti (ESP)
Bronze – Vaic Garioud (FRA)
Copper – Nicolo Ricco (ITA)

Girl’s Junior SUP Technical Race

Gold – Csillag-Virag Kocsis (HUN)
Silver – Alexia Soto (ESP)
Bronze – Soryn Preston (USA)
Copper – Cecilia Pampinella (ITA)

Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race

Gold – Andrew Byatt (ENG)
Silver – Baptiste Cochard (FRA)
Bronze – Carlos Alonso (ESP)
Copper – Oisin McGrath (IRL)

Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race

Gold – Judit Verges (ESP)
Silver – Elise Daudignon (FRA)
Bronze – Cornelia Rigatti (ITA)
Copper – Yurika Horibe (JPN)

Men’s SUP Technical Race

Gold – Rai Taguchi (JPN)
Silver – Aaron Sanchez (ESP)
Bronze – Riccardo Rossi (ITA)
Copper – Clément Colmas (FRA)

Women’s SUP Technical Race

Gold – Duna Gordillo (ESP)
Silver – Esperanza Barreras (ESP)
Bronze – Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR)
Copper – Anais Guyomarch (FRA)

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