Female pilots shine in free-flight hang gliding at the 2024 FAI F1E European Championship

At the 2024 FAI F1E European Championship for slope-free gliders in the Czech Republic at the end of August, the pilots showed outstanding performances and achieved podium places in both the junior and senior categories: Laura Kozuchova from Slovakia won the overall junior ranking and Nadiia Arkhypska from Ukraine came second in the senior category.

From August 19 to 23, 2024, a total of 58 participants enjoyed the late summer weather for the free flight championship in the hills of Litoměřice and Rana, northwest of Prague in the Czech Republic. Their aircraft are controlled by the earth’s magnetic field, conventionally with a bar magnet that operates a head rudder, or electronically via a sensor and a servo. The aim was to achieve maximum times of four to five minutes in the five flights by having the skilled participants adapt the speed of their aircraft to the wind strength and their flight direction to the wind direction and the slope structure.

The conditions on the junior flight day were ideal, and two fly-offs were necessary before the winners were decided. The team ranking went to France, and the new junior champion is Laura Kozuchova, who won the title for the second time after gold in 2016. Second in the junior ranking was Romanian Nectarie Totan, followed by Frenchman Omar Al Saloum.

The seniors had a harder time as the wind often blew across the slope, making it very difficult to achieve the best times. In the end, only two starters reached the fly-off. The winning team came from Romania and the new F1E European champion is Poland’s Czeslaw ZioberNadiia Arkhypska from Ukraine won a silver medal ahead of Ivan Tréger from Slovakia, who took bronze. Defending champion Konrad Zurowski finished eleventh.

Among the 37 seniors and 21 juniors, the female participation was so strong that a complete, separate women’s ranking with titles and medals was possible: There were eight participants from eight different nations and six juniors from five nations.

winner

senior

1. Czesław Ziober (POL)
2. Nadiia Arkhypska (UKR)
3. Ivan Treger (SVK)

Senior – Female

1. Nadiia Arkhypska (UKR)
2. Angel Libera Iacono (ITA)
3. Eleonora V. Pavlova (BUL)

Seniors – Team

1. Romania
2. Poland
3. Slovakia

Junior (top picture)

1. Laura Kožuchová (SVK)
2. Nectarie Totan (ROU)
3. Omar Al Saloum (FRA)

Junior – Female

1. Laura Kožuchová (SVK)
2. Amelia Wojnicka (POL)
3. Andreea Miruna Costache (ROU)

Juniors – Team

1. France
2. Romania
3. Poland

Photo credit: Bernhard Schwendemann