The Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy offered an unforgettable weekend in Olbia, with tight battles, emotional victories and several World Titles sealed under the late-October sun. Over two action-packed days, some of the best riders in the world pushed their limits in front of an enthusiastic crowd, turning the turquoise waters of Sardinia into a spectacular stage for the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship.
Grand Prix Triumphs in Olbia (GP1 & Freestyle)
The first part of the weekend saw four new Grand Prix winners — Benedicte Drange, Mickael Poret, François Medori and Roberto Mariani — each taking victory in their respective categories.
In Ski Ladies GP1, Norway’s Benedicte Drange earned her first-ever Grand Prix win after a tense final Moto. With World Championship leader Jasmiin Ypraus struggling with mechanical issues, Drange stayed calm under pressure and held off France’s Estelle Poret to cross the line first.
“It was a good race but not the best start for me,” Drange said afterwards. “Estelle was pushing hard, but I managed to stay in front. To take my first World Championship Grand Prix win feels amazing.”
In Ski GP1, consistency paid off for Mickael Poret, who secured the overall Grand Prix victory after finishing third in the final Moto. The highlight of the race, however, came from Belgium’s Quinten Bossche, who charged from the back of the grid to take a stunning win in Moto 3. “I knew what I had to do,” said Poret. “Olbia is one of the biggest races of the year. Quinten was flying today, but I did what was needed for the Grand Prix.”
The Runabout GP1 class was all about control and precision. François Medori started from pole and never looked back, holding off his main rival Jérémy Perez to secure the Moto and Grand Prix victories. The win allowed Medori to extend his lead in the World Championship.
“Today was really special,” said the Corsican rider. “It was a tough fight with Jérémy, and I gave everything I had. Winning here, with my wife and kids watching, makes it even more meaningful. My team did a fantastic job.”
The show continued with the Freestyle competition, where Italian Roberto Mariani thrilled the crowd with a daring performance that included a double back flip. His display earned him the Grand Prix win on a tie-breaker against Rashid Al-Mulla, extending his lead in the standings.
“It was very close,” Mariani said. “Rashid always pushes me to give my best. I’m happy with how I performed and proud to win here at home.”
World Titles Sealed in Sardinia
Sunday also brought the decisive World Championship rounds for six other categories, with new names added to the list of Aquabike World Champions.
In Ski GP3, Hungary’s Csongor Jäszai claimed both the Grand Prix and the World Title after a clean and controlled ride in the final Moto, beating Croatia’s Dorijan Jakopanec and Portugal’s Manuel Leite.
Baptiste Calmels of France became Ski GP4 World Champion, managing his final race perfectly to stay ahead in the points despite strong pressure from Estonia’s Ander-Hubert Lauri. Markus Erlach took the Moto win, but Calmels’ consistency gave him both the Grand Prix and world titles.
Lithuania celebrated two world champions as Karol Puzelevic dominated the final Moto in Runabout GP4, winning by a large margin to secure the title ahead of Grantas Gurkšnys, while Arianna Urlo delighted the home fans by taking victory — and the Runabout GP4 Ladies World Title — on Italian waters. Urlo led from start to finish and held off Aurora Filiberti to cross the line just ahead.
In Ski GP2, Estonia’s Mattias Reinass confirmed his dominance, successfully defending his world title with another commanding performance. He took the lead early and never looked back, finishing ahead of his compatriots Csongor Jäszai and Karl-Joosep Steinberg.
The most dramatic finish of the day came in Runabout GP2, where Mattias Siimann produced an incredible comeback to retain his world crown. Starting tied on points with Italy’s Davide Pontecorvo, Siimann pushed through the pack in the final laps, overtook his rival, and even passed race leader Alessandro Fracasso on the final lap to win the Moto — and the title — in spectacular fashion.
From breathtaking comebacks to first-time victories, Sardinia delivered everything that makes Aquabike racing so special — passion, precision and pure determination. As the teams now turn their focus to Qatar for the season finale, the world’s best riders have once again proven that in this sport, nothing is decided until the very last lap.
Photos by UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship - H2O Racing