DAY 3: AGIOS NIKOLAOS on SUP – ICF SUP WORLD CUP 2024 – LONG DISTANCE: An Exciting and Unpredictable Race!
The third and last day of the Agios Nikolaos on SUP – ICF SUP World Cup 2024 offered strong emotions with the 14 km long distance race. Over 120 athletes entered the water track, enjoying an exciting “journey”, starting from the beach of Agia Marina, at the Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa in Plaka of Elounda overlooking Spinalonga, and finishing at the picturesque Lake Voulismeni. The race was carried out for the first time in a windless environment! Every year since 2015, the long distance was held either with south or north wind and long stretches of downwind!
The men’s race hid a fascinating twist. On the Elounda Canal, Ewer Blue from the UK was leading, followed by Anastasios Tsouris in second place and Phaedon Doukas in third. However, Tsouris’ determination turned the tables right before the finish line!
Tsouris took first place, winning the desired title. The two athletes, Tasos Tsouris and Ewer Blue, paddled side-by-side almost the entire time, until Tsouris took the lead in the last kilometer and won with a time of 01:22:13.541. Blue followed just eight seconds behind with a time of 01:22:21.907, while Doukas finished third in 01:22:48.606.
1.Tsouris Anastasios (Greece) – 01:22:13.541
2.Ewer Blue (United Kingdom) – 01:22:21.907
3.Doukas Phaedon (Greece) – 01:22:48.606
The Spanish Alonso Frey Alba confirmed her dominance in the women’s race, as she took the lead from the start and left no room for the others, finishing first in 01:27:50.557. Second place was won by Greek Kyriaki Logotheti with a time of 01:31:51.276 who was alone all the way, although she had previously excelled in the shorter distances.
The battle for third place was a real thriller! Paris Katniss from the USA made her move in the final meters, overtaking Nancy Karaindrou, who had been holding third position up to that point. Paddling side by side, Karaindrou lost her balance and fell into the water, allowing Katniss to secure her spot on the podium with a time of 01:33:05.586.
1.Alonso Frey Alba Spain) – 01:27:50.557
2.Kyriaki Logotheti (Greece) – 01:31:51.276
3.Paris Katniss (USA) – 01:33:05.586
The third and final day of the long-distance race concluded the event in the best possible way, leaving participants and spectators with unforgettable memories of intense competition, passion, and excitement!
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The experience of the race through the eyes of the winners!
Tsouris’ first international victory, dedicated to his grandparents, in an emotional and tough race to the finish.
Tsouris Anastasios (Greece)
“I have been wanting for this a long time. This is my first win at an international race and I couldn’t have wished for a better race to happen. I have been coming to Agios Nikolaos on sup since I was 15 years old and I always wanted to win the long distance. It was a tough race between me and Ewer Blue from the beginning till the end. We were side by side all race long until the final dogfight at the finish. As you see from the photos it was an emotional race at the end.
A couple of years ago I told my grandmother and my grandfather that one day they would see me race on tv and they said that they probably would live that long. Yesterday I raced for them. Unfortunately they were right and didn’t have the chance to see me on tv but I believe they had a better view from where they are now. My grandparents always encouraged me to have big dreams for my future and back my dreams with hard work. I always try to live up to that!
“Dreams do come true if you keep on working and believing”.
Also that second place finish in the technical was really sweet. Congrats to Ewer Blue for the win.”
Ewer Blue on the exciting battle with Tsouris and the suspense of the final sprint.
Ewer Blue (United Kingdom)
“The race was great, and I really enjoyed it. I managed to handle the heat okay. Me and Tasos managed to break away from the start and had a good race together, cruising most of the way through. We were both waiting for that sprint finish, and he got the better of me today, so congratulations to him. I know he’s been waiting a long time to get the win here. I pushed harder in the middle, but it is what it is. There weren’t many position changes during the race. Off the start, we worked pretty hard and managed to get a little lead. When we came through the bridge, there were a few boat wakes, and after that, the two of us just separated and were kind of in a race of our own to the finish. The boat wakes could have been an issue for some people, but we managed to navigate them okay. Sometimes I wished I had my Carolina board because those bumps that came in the second half of the race, even though they were small, were easier to pick up. It’s hard work to handle the little bumps on the Ninja. Hopefully, I’ll be back next year. I really enjoyed this week, and it’s been great.”
Phaedon Doukas overcomes the difficulties of the physical challenge and wins the third place in the demanding long distance race.
Doukas Phaedon (Greece)
“My name is Phaedon Doukas, and I’d like to share a brief recap of the long-distance race in Agios. This year, it was a flat water race, and I was fully prepared with my NSP Ninja board. I finished third in both the technical sprints and the long-distance race, which I’m quite happy about, especially considering the lower back pain I experienced during the sprints. The long-distance race was particularly challenging due to ongoing back pain, but I managed to finish. I want to extend my congratulations to Tasos and Blue, who won a race he’s been aiming to win for years. Looking forward to seeing everyone next year!”
Alonso Frey Alba is enjoying her experience in Crete, preparing for the World Championships and promises to return next year.
Alonso Frey Alba (Spain)
“After Denmark, celebrating with all the Spanish teams was a great experience. I came into this competition a little tired after a long week, but my main goal was to enjoy the island, the vibes, and the people, and that’s exactly what I did. Being from an island myself, this place feels like home to me—it’s beautiful, and the people are wonderful. I’ve had such a great time here. For the past two months, I’ve been focusing on sprints while training for the ISA, and competing in this event, with its three intense disciplines over three days, has been a great preparation for the ICF World Championships in Sarasota. I’d like to thank the entire team and Mikhalis for organizing this fantastic event. It was my first time here, and I loved it so much that I’ll definitely be back next year. I can’t wait to return. Thank you!”
Kyriaki Logotheti, thrilled with her success in her first year in the women’s category, plans to return dynamically next year!
Logotheti Kyriaki (Greece)
“Hello! I’m Kyriaki Logotheti, I would like to share my experience regarding the last weekend in Agios Nikolaos. I had 3 out of 3 podiums, I’m obviously very happy with these results as a first year in women’s category. I have had so much fun at the races, so much competition with strong athletes. Technical race was one of the best races I really enjoyed. I started strong in third but I managed to finish second. The sprint final was tough with very strong women but that’s the best part because it motivates me to be better. Saying the truth about long distance I preferred last year’s conditions like a sprinter with big waves and wind is more fun and faster. It’s an awesome race with beautiful landscapes that you don’t have the chance to see from land. I started very strong but I couldn’t get on a draft with Alba. She was very strong. I struggled a bit because it wasn’t a good day for me physically. I was very tired and it was quite warm but I’m very happy that I managed to finish second.
It is a very nice event with a very good organization in a beautiful place. I would like to thank Mikhalis Farsaris for the organization and everything he has done for these races. I want to have this race in my schedule every year and I hope to see you next year.”
Paris Katniss overcomes the difficulties and wins the bronze in the long distance in her first year on the world stage!
Paris Katniss (United States)
“ICF World Cup in Agios Nikolaosfor year #1 on the international race scene! I’m movin’ on up in this game! It was a weekend of heartbreak and triumph for me, in the most beautiful place one could imagine! A tremendous thanks to everyone who has helped me to get here and to Michalis Farsaris our race director who goes above and beyond to make the most well-run event I have ever attended and to help us athletes attend this amazing event in a most amazing place!
My recap: I started the weekend off with a little sickness from traveling. This made this event probably the physically hardest I’ve ever done, as well as mentally. I got very overheated and unwell in the tech final but I was very happy with pushing through and keeping it a podium performance.
For sprint, I had a decent preliminary, though I did not feel good my performance seemed to be on point. In the final I let concerns about my physical circumstances and the course conditions get to me. I then made mistakes and did not even use the technique I normally would. I took this very hard. I have spent a lot of time training for perfect conditions and never really considered racing in imperfect situations. I also never considered the mental side of performing. I couldn’t believe I overlooked such a substantial element of performance. But this is my first year on the international circuit so some mistakes are bound to happen. What is important is to learn and move forward.
Sunday I applied myself mentally to the task and did not let concerns cloud my judgment, decision or technique. I also absolutely refused to give up or slow down even though I really felt like it. I raced very smartly and very hard for a distance of almost 9 miles. It paid off and I collected another bronze in DISTANCE! I have not trained for distance all year so to take 3rd at the world cup in distance is huge! I really needed that extra cash as well”
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Full results for all categories in the Long Distance can be found here: https://my.esportevents.gr/results.php?id=20240061
🔴 Watch the action from Day 3 live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VV0wcNmHI
Φωτογραφίες: https://bit.ly/sup-photos-2024
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