The Italian kiter is closing in on the Top 5 after the third day. In the men’s fleet, a solid Koska is putting Pianosi under pressure, while Nolot leads the women’s standings and Lengwiler climbs back up the leaderboard with two wins
Swimming first, then sport climbing, and finally, now, kitefoil and the Olympic Formula Kite class. In her spare time, she also enjoys paragliding, padel, skiing and cycling, both on and off road.
Tiana Laporte, 30, is an all-round athlete and Italy’s leading female prospect as the nation looks ahead to Los Angeles 2028. Starting in January, the 2027 World Sailing Championships will offer a chance to secure an Olympic berth, and Quartu Sant’Elena, host of the Sardinia Grand Slam running through Sunday, October 11, will serve as her training ground on the water and in the wind throughout the autumn months.
“We’ll be back here in November and December, in preparation for the World Championships. There’s a Los Angeles 2028 place to fight for.”
Born in Madrid to French and Italian roots, Laporte lives in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where she works in marketing and accounting for her boyfriend’s paragliding business.
“That’s where I train on Lakes Biel and Neuchâtel,” she explains. “In winter, though, I focus heavily on physical conditioning: two to three hours in the gym with my strength and conditioning coach, four or five times a week, plus one or two cycling sessions.”
She discovered kiteboarding at the age of 12 at Chia Wind, under the guidance of Mirco Babini. Six years ago, she took a significant step forward.
“I started focusing on kitefoil, which I enjoy more. I’m working on improving and taking my performance to the next level.”
Laporte is now a regular competitor at the Sardinia Grand Slam. This year, she enjoyed a positive opening day in a light breeze, followed by productive sessions in the Mistral.
“On the second day, the Mistral was shifting considerably, which made things tough. But it was certainly good training ahead of January and the Olympic qualification campaign.”
MEN: PIANOSI HOLDS ONTO THE LEAD AS KOSKA SCORES A HAT-TRICK
On the third afternoon of the Sardinia Grand Slam, with an unsettled Mistral breeze building to over 19 knots towards the end of the session, Czech rider Vojtech Koska stole the show. He claimed three race wins, narrowly missing out on a fourth after an early start.
Riccardo Pianosi remains firmly in contention, posting one win and two second-place finishes, along with a discarded sixth. After 12 races, he retains the overall lead by a single point over Koska.
“It was a very positive day for me. It’s the first time I’ve managed to score all the bullets in a single day. I was over the line at the start of just one race (R10 / UFD, ed.), so that one didn’t go as planned. But I’m very happy with my performance”, Koska explained. He added then: “The key is to be fast and get a good start, because that’s where you can really make the difference. The wind also plays a major role, as does choosing the right side of the racecourse, whether to go left or right”.
WOMEN: TWO RACE WINS EACH FOR NOLOT AND LENGWILER
In the women’s fleet, leader Lauriane Nolot — world and European champion and silver medallist at Paris 2024 — shared the race wins with Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler, who now sits fifth in the Opening Series standings.
Maya Ashkenazi outperformed Lily Young to move into third place, pushing her rival down the leaderboard. Tiana Laporte is sixth, while ‘Maddy Spanu’ continues to build experience in kiteboarding, adding two seventh-place finishes to her scorecard.
“The conditions were quite challenging again – Lengwiler commented – with strong winds. I think I managed to focus on the areas I’ve been working on and handle them well. So it was a good day for me, in terms of working on those areas and improving my performance”. Elena knows she can do better in next days: “I think I managed to read the wind shifts quite well, but there’s still room for improvement. That’s one of the things I’m working on”.
TOP 5 LEADERBOARD AFTER DAY 3
MEN’S FLEET
- Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) 19.0 pts
- Vojtech Koska (CZE) 20.0 pts
- Sam Dickinson (GBR) 28.0 pts
- Valentin Bontus (AUT) 49.0 pts
- Flavio Marx (ITA) 53.0 pts
WOMEN’S FLEET
- Lauriane Nolot (FRA) 11.0 pts
- Lysa Canal (FRA) 23.0 pts
- Maya Ashkenazi (ISR) 32.0 pts
- Lily Young (GBR) 32.0 pts
- Elena Lengwiler (SVI) 37.0 pts
SCHEDULE AND LIVE STREAMING
The Sardinia Grand Slam continues on Saturday, October 10th, with the afternoon session scheduled to start at 2 p.m., subject of course to changes due to the weather forecast. Updates will be available through the official channels of the IKA – International Kiteboarding Association and on the Sardinia Grand Slam social media channels. On Saturday, October 10th, and Sunday, October 11th, the Sardinia Grand Slam Formula Kite will be streamed live on the event’s and IKA’s website and Facebook and YouTube platforms.
THE ORGANIZATION
Organised by GLEsport in technical and sporting collaboration with Chia Wind Club, the Sardinia Grand Slam is held under the authority of World Sailing, the International Sailing Federation, and IKA, the International Kiteboarding Association, as well as the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV). The Sardinia Grand Slam is supported and endorsed by the Minister for Sport and Youth. Promoted by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Department of Tourism, Handicrafts and Commerce, the Sardinia Grand Slam also receives the support and patronage of the Municipality of Quartu Sant’Elena. Sardinia Grand Slam partners also include Secauto and USE.
Photos: 1) Tiana Laporte, her road to Los Angeles 2028 starts from Quartu Sant’Elena; 2) Paragliding, skiing and above all kitefoil: Laporte is a real sportswoman; 3) Vojtech Koska, tre wins out of four races in the Day 3; 4) From left, Lily Young and Elena Lengwiler; 5) Riccardo Pianosi, leader of the Qualifying Series among Men; 6) The kite show on the Golfo degli Angeli; 7) Italians Riccardo Pianosi and Flavio Marx (Credits IKA Media / Robert Hajduk). Free usage granted with credits. Click on the pictures for the hi-res version.