The top ten teams overall – six from the para category and four from the open category – took to the waters in perfect conditions at the Barceló Mussanah Resort. Each team sailed two races.
Muscat – Oman’s Sultan Al Wahaibi and Ahmed Al Balushi sealed the gold medal at the 2022 RS Venture Connect World Championships with an excellent display of sailing in the Grand Finale.
The top ten teams overall – six from the para category and four from the open category – took to the waters in perfect conditions at the Barceló Mussanah Resort. Each team sailed two races.
Sultan Al Wahaibi and Ahmed Al Balushi continued their excellent form from the open category fleet races to sweep to victory in the Grand Finale, claiming gold for the host nation. Jens Kroker and Sabine Kroker-Hohmann of Germany won the silver medal and Australia’s Genevieve Wickham and Grant Alderson claim bronze in third. Fellow Australians Christopher Symonds and Manuela Klinger of Australia narrowly miss out on a podium position in fourth.
Piotr Cichcoki and Olga Gornas-Grudzien of Poland finished first place in the Para category and took the gold medal ahead of Vasilis Christoforou and Theodoros Alexas of Greece in second. Guilherme Teixeira and Pedro Cancio Reis of Portugal finished third after an intense final race,
The winners received their prizes from His Excellency Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousuf, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, at the closing ceremony.
Dr Khamis Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “The 2022 RS Venture Connect World Championships, which is the first international event of this scale held in the Sultanate of Oman for persons with disabilities. We have been delighted to see this edition attract the highest number of participants in the history of the championship – 39 teams from 19 countries competed in Omani waters this week and we are incredibly proud to welcome you all.”
“It is our hope that the success of this championship serves to promote para sailing throughout the region and across Asia, and that more events can be held on our shores as we support World Sailing in its bid to reinstate Para Sailing for the LA28 Paralympic Games and beyond.”
Eng. Yousuf Al Ojaili, bp Oman President, commented, “We are honoured to be the main sponsor of the region’s first RS Venture Connect World Championships. Watching Oman’s first para sailing team excel in their competition with international teams, has shown us that we have achieved our targets at bp – which is to provide inclusive opportunities to Omanis with disabilities.”
The 2022 RS Venture Connect World Championships were the first exclusively para sailing event to be held in Oman and helps position the nation as a regional hub for growing the sport across the Middle East, Asia and across the world.
Dr Khamis Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “The 2022 RS Venture Connect World Championships, which is the first international event of this scale held in the Sultanate of Oman for persons with disabilities. We have been delighted to see this edition attract the highest number of participants in the history of the championship – 39 teams from 19 countries competed in Omani waters this week and we are incredibly proud to welcome you all.”
The RS Venture Connect World Championships is proudly supported by title sponsor bp Oman, along with the Oman Paralympic Committee, Oman Maritime Sports Committee, Oman Air, the Barceló Mussanah Resort, Tanuf, the International Maritime College Oman (IMCO), RS Sailing, and environmental partners Clean Seas and Environment Society of Oman (ESO).
Final Standings
Para
- Piotr Cichoki and Olga Gornas-Grudzien (POL)
- Vasilis Christoforou and Theodoros Alexas (GRE)
- Guilherme Teixeira and Pedro Cancio Reis (POR)
- John McRoberts and Scott Lutes (CAN)
- Ange Margaron and Olivier Ducruix (FRA)
- Fia Fjelldahl and Patric Rosenberg (SWE)
Open
- Sultan Al Balushi and Ahmed Al Balushi (OMA)
- Jens Kroker and Sabine Kroker-Hohmann (GER)
- Genevieve Wickham and Grant Alderson (AUS)
- Christopher Symonds and Manuela Klinger (AUS)
About Oman Sail:
Operating under Oman Tourism Development Company, Oman Sail is tasked with rekindling the country’s maritime eminence, promote the Sultanate around the world through sailing, contribute to the sustainable prosperity of the nation and provide long-term learning opportunities for the youth.
Since 2008, Oman Sail has built a solid foundation around Sailing, Tourism, Commerce, Health and Environment, all underpinned with competency-based development for its workforce. Committed to offering both men and women equal opportunities to learn, Oman Sail’s programmes focus on nurturing young talent to develop the sailing champions of tomorrow, increasing revenue in the tourism, activity and experiential learning markets and gaining prominent international exposure for the country.
The company has a strong track record in delivering a portfolio of events across the Sultanate to showcase Oman’s natural beauty, tourism potential, the people’s hospitality, and the infrastructure readiness for business opportunities. More information can be found on www.omansail.com
About Barceló Hotel Group:
Barceló Hotel Group is the hotel division of the Barceló Group, which is the 29th largest hotel chain in the world. It currently operates more than 270 leisure and city hotels with 4 and 5 stars, and over 60,000 rooms in 24 countries worldwide, all marketed under four brands: Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts, Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Occidental Hotels & Resorts, and Allegro Hotels.
In May 2021, Barceló Hotel Group’s UAE portfolio received prestigious recognition at the TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Awards 2021 with Barceló Residences Dubai Marina and Dukes The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel being recognized in the top 10% of hotels worldwide.
Barceló Hotel Group achieved the ‘World’s Leading Hotel Management Company’ award at the World Travel Awards 2021.
More information can be found on our website: www.omansail.com
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