Formula Kite European Championships: Jannis Maus shines at the European Championships - and scores points for the Olympics
For the two best Formula kiters from the German Sailing Team, the national Olympic qualifiers have begun with the European Championships in Los Alcázares, Spain. Jannis Maus (Cuxkiters e. V.) and Florian Gruber (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) are fighting for just one Olympic ticket for the German kite men in the three-part elimination series.
Kite duel: Mouse vs Gruber
Jannis Maus initially took the lead in this duel at the European Championships. With some outstanding speed, a good overview of the course and eighth place at the European Championships in Spain, he secured 13 points for his elimination account. Flo Gruber, on the other hand, was not satisfied with 17th place and only four points for his qualification account.
Jannis Maus in particular was able to shine in the Spanish region, even winning a semi-final race on the final day in his favourite rough and gusty conditions and only just missing out on the final of the top four. However, 27-year-old Jannis Maus was also delighted with eighth place: "It may not look so glamorous from the outside, but this European Championship field was ready for the World Championships. It's even sixth place among Europeans." DSV coach Jan-Hauke Erichsen also paid tribute to his protégé after the final: "Jannis skied strongly today, but also performed consistently all week."
Jannis Maus was delighted with the first points for his Olympic elimination account, but didn't want to overestimate the opening lead in the duel with his team-mate Flo Gruber: "That's good, of course, but Flo and I both know that you can have a bad series from time to time. I can't rest on my laurels, so I'm going to stay hot."
Kite crash: Gruber injures his foot
Flo Gruber had to battle with ventilation, some unfortunate decisions and a fall in the Spanish European Championship waters, in which he rolled over and injured his left foot. He took painkillers on his last day of racing. "It didn't go as I wanted," summarised the 20-year-old from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. And added: "Now it's time for me to recover and be better next time."
The Spanish classic Trofeo Prinzesa Sofía marks the "next time" as the second part of the Olympic qualifiers for the German kiteboarders. The decision as to who will win the Olympic ticket to Marseille will be made at the Formula Kite World Championships in May. Top favourite Max Maeder from Singapore, who is only 17 years old, secured gold at the open title fights in Spain ahead of Axel Mazella (France) and Ricardo Pianosi (Italy).
Kite hopeful: Leonie Meyer on a good course
In the women's kiteboarding category, the European Championship podium was all French. Laurianne Nolot became European champion ahead of Jessie Kampman and Poema Newland. In the new Olympic sport of kitesurfing, the sailing nation can draw from the full range of options, but is also spoilt for choice as to who can compete in the Olympic home game off Marseille. In all Olympic sailing disciplines, there is only one starting place per qualified nation.
From a German perspective, there is only one choice in women's kiteboarding: Leonie Meyer is unrivalled nationally. The former skiff sailor, doctor and mother had the foresight to switch to kiteboarding before it was even an Olympic sport. However, she made the switch and is now getting ever closer to her Olympic start. The athlete from the NRV Olympic Team emphasised her world-class status with eleventh place at the European Championships. If you deduct the double and triple places taken by some countries ahead of her, then Leonie Meyer achieved the seventh-best national ranking at the European Championships.
We are on the right track" (Leonie Meyer)
This is important for her, as Leonie Meyer has "only" one more hurdle to overcome on her Paris 2024 course after already securing a place in the national starting line-up for the German kite women at the Olympic regatta and achieving an individual top 12 finish in one of the three qualifying regattas required by the German Olympic Sports Confederation last year: She must be placed in the top ten nations in the final tally of her results at the 2023 European Championships (part 1 of the elimination series for female kiters), the Trofeo Princesa Sofía and the World Championships in May.
"We're on the right track," says Leonie Meyer about the Olympic start she has firmly set her sights on. Her starts have got a lot better. She still has some homework to do in the area of downwind speed. Then the Olympics can come for the likeable Kiel native.
Rough and gusty conditions challenged the kiters on the final day of the European Championships - here you can watch the replay of the live broadcast with the semi-final races of Jannis Maus, who was in his element:
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