Once again, Gizzeria delivered near-perfect racing conditions, with a steady thermal breeze sweeping in from the Tyrrhenian Sea across the Calabrian coast. It set the stage for a thrilling climax to the 2025 Youth European Championships—a week of high-level competition across multiple age groups, with 11 titles up for grabs..

Young Champions Crowned 

Four age categories reached their dramatic conclusion 

• Jean-Paul Villegas, a 13-year-old from Colombia, outclassed older competitors to claim the U15 Open title. 

• Molly O’Brien, just 12, showed exceptional maturity and composure to bring the U15 Girls’ title home to the United States. 

• Nathan Pearce of Canada secured the U17 Open title, breaking into the Gold Fleet and proving he’s a rising star in the sport. 

• Karolina Jankowska of Poland took the U17 Girls’ title, showcasing consistency throughout the week. 

• Gian Stragiotti of Switzerland emerged victorious in the Men’s U19, with a strong performance in the grand final. 

• In the Women’s U19, Derin Deniz Sorguc of Turkey clinched gold with a commanding final race. 

Although the Youth European Championships are an open competition, only European riders are eligible for official European titles.

Men's Medal Series: Pianosi’s double 

The men’s Golden Ticket race saw Poland’s Jan Koszowski deliver a great performance to secure the final spot in the medal series, but his journey ended there. The repechage was won by Switzerland’s Karl Maeder, with Israeli Carmel Avisar close behind. Both advanced to the quarterfinals, where they met Great Britain’s Sam Dickinson and Brazil’s Lucas Fonseca.

Dickinson and Maeder progressed to the semifinal, where a win would have meant a family showdown between Karl and his brother Max Maeder in the final. But it wasn’t to be, Vojtech Koska of Czechia and Gian Stragiotti of Switzerland progressed instead.