WORLD WIN FOR WINDSURFER HAMILTON
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- Created on Monday, 01 November 2010 08:16
- Published on Monday, 01 November 2010 08:16
University of Exeter student Izzy Hamilton is on top of the world again after clinching a second successive gold medal at windsurfing's RS:X World Youth Championships, held over the past week in Cyprus.
Having been crowned Britain’s first ever windsurfing world youth champion at last year’s event in Bodrum, Turkey, Hamilton defended her title in style after racking up an impressive 16 point lead in Limassol.
The 18-year-old first year geography student - a high performance sports scholar at University of Exeter - beat 38 other up and coming young stars to the RS:X world youth title after six days of racing in the Cypriot venue, adding gold to her silver medals from the multi-class Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Turkey and RS:X European Championship in Poland, in July.
Hamilton, who is a member of the RYA Volvo National Youth Squad and Skandia Team GBR Development Squad, made no mistake in asserting her rank, leading the pack for the first two days in what were the young sailor’s least favoured light conditions.
Poland’s Hanna Zembrzuska, who was revelling in the marginal winds, pushed Hamilton hard on the third day overtaking her lead by one point. But with stronger winds promised for the end of the week, Hamilton’s forte, she held her nerve, kept it consistent and racked up a huge lead on the penultimate day guaranteeing herself a silver medal or better from Saturday’s double point medal race.
With no wind on the racecourse on Saturday the medal race was cancelled. Titles were decided on Friday’s results handing Hamilton an emphatic victory and a second consecutive world youth title.
Cornwall's Hamilton - from Bude - said: “I’m so happy at this moment in time and after all the events I’ve done this summer it’s so good to finish it off on a massive high.
“We had a complete mix of conditions and I had good results most days so that’s why I’ve come out on top really – consistency.
“I’m really really happy to finally have made first this year after coming second in Turkey at the ISAF’s and second at the Euros. I’m just so happy to finish on top at my last youth event."
Other British top ten finishes included Launceston’s Sam Sills in men’s seventh and Bude’s Sophie Bailey in women’s class ninth.
World beater: Izzy Hamilton on her way to a second successive world youth title (RS:X Class Association)
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