Bilger takes Bronze for Australia at iQFOiL Worlds

by Lisa Darmanin / Australian Sailing Team 12 Sep 21:09 BST 3-12 September 2026

Stella Bilger in action - 2026 Musto iQFOiL World Championships © Sailing Energy

Stella Bilger has claimed bronze for Australia at the 2026 iQFOiL Women's World Championships in Weymouth, delivering a breakthrough result in her first World Championship under the Australian flag.

Bilger entered the final series fourth overall and performed when it mattered most, winning her semi-final to secure her place in the four-way Grand Final. With three Israeli athletes alongside her in the final, Bilger held her nerve in a high-pressure race, maintaining third position through the medal showdown to cross the finish line and secure the bronze medal.

The result marks a major milestone for the 2025 Under-23 World Champion, who previously represented New Zealand. A dual Australian-New Zealand citizen, Bilger has now impressively taken the next step in her campaign towards LA2028.

Bronze for Stella Bilger - 2026 Musto iQFOiL World Championships - photo © Sailing Energy

"It feels pretty amazing, pretty surreal and crazy. I'm lost for words, really," Bilger shared. "It was such an epic medal series. Just to make it through the semis, I was so happy. And then, hanging on in that last race, trying not to fall in the reach, I managed to make it happen, so I'm super happy."

For Bilger, an open World Championship medal has been a long-held ambition: "It's been a massive dream for so many years," she said.

"It's been a pretty tough week. We had a bit of everything: light winds, heavy winds, lots of shifts. We had lots of different courses, with slalom, course racing and upwind sprints, so it was a big test across all the different formats, which was pretty cool."

While Bilger celebrated a career-defining result, it was a difficult finish for Olympic medallist Grae Morris.

Morris' hopes of fighting his way further up the leaderboard came to an abrupt end in the quarter-final after a heavy crash off the high-speed start. In strong winds and building chop, Morris was catapulted from his board in a high-speed wipeout. Although he was able to get back on his board and finish the race, the incident ended his hopes of progressing further.

Morris admitted he was disappointed with his overall performance, but was determined to take the experience forward. "I was super inconsistent, and I was actually just happy to make it into the finals in the end," Morris said.

"I'm happy I got another chance to get more experience in the medal race, even though I didn't make the most of it, and I'm ready to put the work in for Brazil. It's going to be an Olympic country qualifier as well, so that's going to be one to watch for sure."

Grae Morris - 2026 Musto iQFOiL World Championships - photo © Sailing Energy

There was also plenty of promise from Queenslander Rory Meehan, who finished the World Championship in 13th overall, a personal best at the senior World Championship level.

Meehan saved his best for the final day of fleet racing, climbing to 13th after finishing the day with a race win. "I'm very happy with how the week went," said Meehan. "I kind of put it together on the last day. I had a pretty inconsistent week, but I'm happy to finish strong."

"It's a very nice way to finish the season. I've had some good events this year, and I'm keen to get back home and keep training for Brazil."

The World Sailing Championships will be held in Fortaleza, Brazil, in January 2027 and will be the first opportunity for Australia to qualify quota spots for the Olympics. With new talent emerging in the women's event and a strong squad in the men's iQFOiL, Australia heads towards Brazil with plenty of momentum and plenty to build on.

Full results can be found here

Australian (AUS) results at the iQFOiL World Championship:

iQFOiL - Women (74 entries)