Retorno de una campeona: Rita Arnaus gana en Dunkerque 🌟

Return of a champion: Rita Arnaus wins at Dunkirk 🌟

September 2, 2024

Kiter friends! 🌊 The beaches of Dunkirk lit up from August 28th to September 1st with the GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup France 2024🇫🇷. The wind was blowing hard and the world's top riders gathered to show off their most radical skills. If you couldn't be there, don't worry, Suelta La Barra brings you a complete recap of all the action. 🏄‍♀️ For videos, check out the GKA YouTube channel.

A start with a taste of surprise 🍬

The first morning of competition kicked off with considerable wind in Dunkirk. Things heated up in the final quarterfinal heats, where riders battled to post their best four scores out of seven attempts. 🔥

Podium Hunger 🥇: Round three delivered the first surprise of the championship. Frenchman Valentin Garat made a strong comeback in the final heat. 🇫🇷 After falling behind, he landed a stunning "slim-7" trick with a score of 8.07, the highest of the event up to that point, putting him back in the podium race. The home crowd roared with chants of "Allez les bleus!" as a podium-hungry Garat secured his spot in the semifinal alongside reigning world champion Carlos Mario (BRA). 🌟

The men's semifinals were marked by the intensity of the competition. The very young 15-year-old Finn Flügel (GER), Valentin Garat, Maxime Chabloz (SUI), and the number two ranked Gianmaria Coccoluto (ITA) faced off in an epic duel. While Garat played intelligently and Chabloz closed in on the lead with a score of 8.43, former world champion Coccoluto didn't seem as comfortable as usual. Ultimately, Flügel slipped into first place, followed by Chabloz and Garat in third. 🥉

The scores remained close, and the tension mounted with each attempt. Each trick left the crowd waiting to see how the standings would change. Who would take the glory? 🏆

Coccoluto began to recover, and on his fifth and sixth attempts, he came very close to turning things around, sending the competition into a frenzy. On the verge of snatching second place from Chabloz and eliminating Flügel, Coccoluto made a mistake on his final attempt and had to withdraw from the competition, leaving the audience speechless. 😲

"I feel good," Coccoluto said after the heat. "Sometimes it happens, you know, and the conditions are really tough. I hope I can do better in Brazil with good conditions, so see you there!" 🇧🇷

In the second semifinal, Arthur Guillebert (FRA) nailed a "heartattack-5" with a score of 8.77, the highest recorded in the competition. Unfortunately, Carlos Mario suffered an injury that prevented him from challenging for the lead and forced him to withdraw. We hope the entire SUELTALABARRA community has a speedy recovery. 😢

Tense men's final: ⚡With Coccoluto and Mario sidelined, the doors were opened for the men's final. The action began with Matteo Dorotini (ITA), who had been training hard on Lake Garda, along with Finn Flügel, Maxime Chabloz, and Arthur Guillebert.

Flügel started strong, and the ambition in his risky maneuvers was evident. It was a smart move to secure a toeside trick early on. Meanwhile, Guillebert had some great moves in his repertoire and was all smiles as he landed a good "dum dum" to the French crowd's wild ride. Despite his efforts, Chabloz took the lead, leaving the other three riders scrambling to catch him.

Halfway through the heat, a fall by Chabloz opened the door for Guillebert to slip into first place, but Chabloz regained the lead, leaving just 0.4 points between them and one last trick to perform.

Guillebert was the last to use his final attempt and needed a solid score of 6 points or more to take first place, something he had already proven to have in his repertoire. Landing a frontside 317, the crowd was in suspense as the judges deliberated the score. It was enough to steal the win and leave Chabloz disappointed! Chabloz has yet to win an event, often coming up short, but this time he came very close.

"I'm very disappointed, but also happy," Chabloz said. "It was very close, so I'm looking forward to the next event."

It was a French victory at Dunkirk, with Arthur Guillebert taking the win! Maxime Chabloz took a well-deserved second place, followed by Finn Flügel in third and Matteo Dorotini in fourth. 🥈🥉

A display of female talent: 🌸 In the women's semifinals, Rita Arnaus (ESP) hadn't made a single mistake in the first heat. Having trained hard after an injury, Arnaus didn't miss a trick and stayed well ahead of her rivals. Arnaus won by a large margin, advancing to the women's final alongside Kaya Lehmann (GER), who, having competed on the junior world circuit, showed promise by securing her spot in the final in her first competition.

In the second heat of the semifinals, Bruna Kajiya (BRA) took the lead from the start, but left the door open for any other competitor to take second place. Italy's Francesca Bagnoli posted a clean "slim" score of 6.23 points, consolidating her position and securing a spot on the podium.

Bagnoli did a DROP THE BAR 😱

Bagnoli was very focused before the women's final, but an unfortunate incident with a hydrofoil damaged her kite, affecting her concentration and causing her to lose ground early in the heat. Meanwhile, Lehmann showed consistency in her tricks, allowing her to gain an advantage.

Rita Arnaus held her own and, with a series of flawless tricks, earned a well-deserved second place. Lehmann finished second, followed by Kajiya in third, and Bagnoli in fourth. 🥇🥈🥉

Rita Arnaus commented on her Instagram account: "Achieving second place is an incredible feeling, and I'm very proud of the journey I've taken to get here. From the intense heats to the unforgettable moments in the water, this competition was about pushing my limits and giving it my all."