Laura Grasso Castagnetta secured the women’s windsurfing gold at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics after a tie-break determined the title.
The Italian athlete finished the regatta with 24 points, the same total as Spain’s Olivia Sanchez, according to goboating.nz. Because the final race could not proceed due to light winds, the championship was decided by the tie-break rules of the competition.
“I couldn’t expect to reach this goal,” Grasso Castagnetta told goboating.nz. “When I understood that I could take it, I gave it my best. I had a very big support from all of Italy. My coaches, my teammates, my parents, all my city was with me.”
Windsurfing medal results
While the women’s competition required a tie-break, the men’s event saw a clear margin of victory. Greece’s Evangelos Kyriazakos won the gold by 16 points after winning 10 of the 14 races, goboating.nz reported.
“I believe my consistency and my hard work paid off,” Evangelos Kyriazakos said.
The final podium for the men’s fleet included Hong Kong’s Ng Hoi Tik in second place and Tunisia’s Rayen Briki in third. In the women’s category, China’s Wu Ziyan took the bronze after winning the last race of the regatta, goboating.nz reported.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Windsurfing | Laura Grasso Castagnetta (ITA) | Olivia Sanchez (ESP) | Wu Ziyan (CHN) |
| Men’s Windsurfing | Evangelos Kyriazakos (GRE) | Ng Hoi Tik (HKG) | Rayen Briki (TUN) |
Other Dakar 2026 results
In fencing, China’s Qimiao Pan won the gold in women’s sabre by defeating South Korea’s Yuju Jeon with a score of 15-10, OA Sport reported. Uzbekistan’s Nargiza Utebaeva took the bronze in the same event after beating Argentina’s Catalina Borrelli 15-13.
Boxing results included gold for India’s Gunjan in the women’s 48 kg category and gold for the central American Santiago Torres in the men’s 60 kg category, OA Sport reported. Michela Guglielmon of Italy received a bronze medal in the women's 48 kg category following her semifinal exit.
Did you know?
The men’s windsurfing winner, Evangelos Kyriazakos, won 10 races during the Dakar 2026 regatta.
How the women's windsurfing gold and futsal medals were decided
How was the women’s windsurfing gold decided?
The gold was decided via a tie-break because both Laura Grasso Castagnetta and Olivia Sanchez finished with 24 points. The final race could not be held due to insufficient wind conditions off the Senegal coast, as reported by goboating.nz.
Which countries won the futsal gold and silver?
Argentina won the gold medal in the men’s futsal tournament, while Portugal took the silver after losing the final 2-1, according to OA Sport.
Who won the men’s windsurfing competition?
Evangelos Kyriazakos of Greece won the gold medal, finishing 16 points ahead of the silver medalist, Ng Hoi Tik of Hong Kong, according to goboating.nz.
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