Olympic iQFoil windsurfing kicks off in light winds

Nicolas Goyard assumed an early lead in the men's windsurfing despite there being only one race on the water today.

All iQFoil races were postponed yesterday due to light wind, but the action eventually got underway on day three.

However, the men were only able to complete one race before persisting light winds prevented any further action.

Reigning world champion Nicolo Renna impressed initially, closely trailing behind Goyard to put Italy in the mix.

Denmark's Johan Bornemann Soe finished third behind them with a strong opening performance.

"I felt really good. I felt quick and physically ready. It feels good to be starting finally," said Goyard.

"We've been preparing for over six months and it's good to be out there finally and giving it my all. So I'm happy with how it went. I'm ready; I've never felt so good, so let's go for it."

"I'm really happy about the day. Let's hope tomorrow for some wind. I'm ready for the action," added Renna Said.

"You have to drink a lot out here because it's super warm. I'm going to try to stay in the top three and enter the semifinal. You need to be ready for the last day."

Women's iQFoil

Tokyo bronze medallist Emma Wilson opened her Paris 2024 campaign with two accomplished performances, finishing first and second to move to the top of the women's windsurfing rankings.

After two races today, persisting light winds prevented any further action.

Italy's Marta Maggetti made the most of her time on the water, banking two top-five finishes to edge to second overall.

The third spot was filled by Peru's Maria Belen Bazo German, who also managed to clock two top-five finishes in the early action.

"There were pretty light winds. I like every condition, but we've trained a lot in this condition and I just got off the start line well and had a good speed. It makes your life easier if you do that," stated Emma Wilson.

"It was nice to go windsurfing."

"It was frustrating [dealing with light winds], but it happens a lot. We have to have wind to go windsurfing, so it's just part of the game."

"I think we're going to get a bit more wind tomorrow, so that should be fun."

"We waited a lot yesterday, so finally, we raced today. I'm happy because I managed all my adrenaline, and I'm happy about the start. I'm super excited. I was feeling fast and mentally feeling good," added Marta Maggetti.

"It was really nice. I like light wind conditions. I felt confident with my speed, and it went really well," concluded Maria Belen Bazo German.

"I came here to enjoy this experience, and that's what I'm doing. It's going well on the water, but despite that, I'm trying to enjoy every moment."

"I just want to keep doing the same - keep calm and focus on myself."

How Olympic iQFoil Works

Medals for the IQFoil windsurfing will be decided by the cumulative results of the 24 athletes over 20 races.

The athlete with the lowest total will rank first.

There are three race formats: the Marathon Race, Slalom, and Course Racing.

Because it's a longer 60-minute race, the Marathon will be scored as two races.

Athletes will be able to discard their worst three finishing positions after they've completed 16 or more races.

At the end of the Opening Series, the top ten athletes will qualify for the Medal Series.

Those ranked fourth to tenth compete in a quarterfinal, with the top two reaching the semifinal.

They will then face the athletes that finished second and third in the Opening Series.

Two will progress from the semifinal, joining the top overall athlete in the final.

The three athletes in the final are all guaranteed a medal, so the finishing order in the final race will determine who wins what medal.