Kfir Nov Wins U19 iQFOiL European Windsurfing Championship in Greece
Kfir Nov won the U19 iQFOiL European windsurfing championship in Varkiza, Greece, defeating 94 competitors to capture his first international gold medal.
Kfir Nov of the Mitzpe Yam sailing club secured the U19 European title in the iQFOiL windsurfing class on Saturday in Varkiza, Greece, overcoming a 94-athlete fleet to claim his maiden international gold medal. Nov finished the 16-race opening series in third place with 54 points, earning a direct ticket to the semifinals where he placed second behind Canada's Valentino Bloat before advancing to the grand final.
In the decisive medal races, Nov faced top-seeded competitors including Turkey's Arton Şenol and Poland's Leon Jankowski. After splitting the early final heats, Nov dominated the decisive third race, seizing control from the start while holding off a late charge by the Turkish surfer, who fell on the final stretch allowing Nov to cross the finish line first.
Reflecting on his triumph, Kfir Nov said: "It is hard to put into words the feeling when years of hard work culminate in one particularly challenging week that ended in the best possible way. I am grateful to everyone who supported me along the way and especially proud to represent my country on the international windsurfing stage during these days."
Several other Israeli sailors advanced to the medal series, with representatives reaching all four age and gender categories. Naama Pletnik of Haifa finished fifth in the U19 girls division, while Alba Klein placed seventh. In the U17 division, May Kaufman reached the girls' semifinals, and Noa Koren and Yanai Shapira advanced to the quarterfinals. The Varkiza event served as the final trials for the upcoming World Sailing Youth World Championships in Portugal this December, with Kfir Nov and Naama Pletnik locking in their qualification spots.
Sailing Association Chairman Shai Buber praised the team's overall performance, stating: "Kfir's achievement is remarkable, and it is wonderful to see representation across all categories in the top ten, demonstrating the strong development of our youth program in this Olympic cycle."
