FISU World University Match Racing Championship - Overall
by C Pierre, FISU 7 Jul 2014 13:35 BST
29 June - 5 July 2014
The U.S. crew skippered by Nevin Snow is the winner in the Open Category of the 7th edition of the World University Match Racing Championship competed on Lago di Ledro, the Alpine lake in Trentino, Italy. Despite the opposing team - led by the Australian Samuel Gilmour – who was the favourite of this WUC as well as title holder from the last edition in Nice in 2012, the Americans competed in a magnificent race winning the final.
"We have been favoured by optimal weather conditions", said the U.S. Skipper. "We have captured the best wind, we went faster and reached the finish line first. The satisfaction of winning, fighting a sailor of the calibre of Gilmour is really great. Congrats to my crew, with whom there was a great team effort."
"I have to recognize that the Americans have been able to sail with great speed", commented Gilmour. "And theirs is therefore a deserved victory. Despite the second place, my crew and I return home happy. It was really an exciting Championship."
The bronze medal went to the French team of Pierre Quiroga while 4th place went to the team of Japanese Ichikawa Kohel. The Italians of Valerio Galati, in the match for 5th place, lost competing against the second team of Singapore (Sean Lee), resulting in the 6th position for the host team in the final ranking.
In the Women's Category, the gold was captured by the British crew of Annabel Vose, leaving the French headed by Pauline Courtois in second place, while third place went to the Brazilian team of Juliana Motta Poncioni, winners of the WUC in Nice in 2012. The fourth spot was for Singapore (Denise Lim). Fifth place finally went to the Italians (Federica Wetzl).
Student-Athletes from 14 participating countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Singapore, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Poland, Turkey, Russia, the United States, Italy), involved 27 teams (19 in the Open Category and 8 in the Women's Category) for a total of 128 people in this FISU Championship.
The next edition of this WUC will take place in Perth, Australia in 2016.
Open category results:
1. USA, SNOW
2. AUS1, GILMOUR
3. FRA, QUIROGA
4. JPN, ICHIKAWA
5. SIN2, LEE
6. ITA, GALATI
7. SIN1, LIU
8. GBR2, MILLER
9. TUR, KARAHAN
10. POL, SADOWSKI
11. AUS2, GRIFFIN
12. FIN, RONNBERG
13. CAN1, GARDNER
14. RUS, KATAEV
15. GBR1, WILKINSON
16. GER, MAIER
17. BRA, GROCHTMANN
18. ITA2, CAVALLARI
19. CAN2, HEARST
Women's category results:
1. GBR, VOSE
2. FRA, COURTOIS
3. BRA1, PONCIONI MOTA
4. SIN1, LIM
5. ITA, WETZL
6. AUS2, STROINOVSKI
7. ITA, WETZL
8. AUS1, MCCALL