Michael Sigel. Photo: PWC
Michael Sigel has won the first leg of the 2011 Paragliding World Cup. The Swiss pilot beat Russell Ogden (GB) into second place by a margin of 68 points over the week-long competition in Colombia which saw its final task on 21 January.
Michael was flying a Gin Boomerang 8 while Russell was onboard an Ozone prototype. The win puts Gin firmly back in the game of comp paragliding for the year ahead after 2010 was dominated by the two-line technology of the Ozone R10.2.
One hundred and twenty-three pilots flew six tasks in the Valle de Cauca, Roldanillo in a week that saw long flights through the verdant landscape of central Colombia. Tasks of 93.7 km (38 in goal), 123 km (no one in goal), 83.3 km (109 in goal), 138.3 km (stopped due to weather), 73.6 km (85 in goal) and 110 km (88 in goal) were flown.
Czech pilot Renata Kuhnova (Axis Serial) won the women’s competition.
The event is the only PWC planned for the Americas this year, which meant the American PWC champions were also decided.
Nick Greece (US, Ozone R10.2) won the men’s American Champion title ahead of teammate Josh Cohn. Nick came seventh overall. Camila Antonorsi (Ozone R10.2) from Venezuela won the women’s American Champion title.
Forty pilots contested the American title, with a mix of pilots drawn from the USA, Mexico and South America competing.
The Paragliding World Cup now heads to Mun Gyeong in Korea for the second competition of the year, 14-21 May.
Look for a full report from Colombia in Cross Country magazine issue 134.
PWC ROLDANILLO 2011 RESULTS
Overall
Michael Sigel, CH, Gin Boomerang 8, 5,682
Russell Ogden, GB, Ozone Proto, 5,614
Peter Neuenschwander, CH, Ozone Mantra R10.2, 5,521
Women
Renata Kuhnova, CZ, Axis Serial, 4,259
Elisa Houdry, FR, Niviuk Icepeak 5, 4,099
Keiko Hiraki, JP, Ozone Mantra R10.2, 4,083
Americas Overall
Nick Greece, US, Ozone Mantra R10.2, 5,283
Josh Cohn, US, Niviuk proto, 5,228
Michael Von Wachter, VE, Gin Boomerang 8, 4,762
Americas Women
Camila Antonorsi, VE, Ozone Mantra R10.2, 3,737
Joanna Di Grigoli, VE, Gin Boomerang 8, 2,360
Full results for the Paragliding World Cup 2011 Roldanillo
2011 PARAGLIDING WORLD CUP CALENDAR
Roldanillo in Colombia, 15-22 Jan
Mun Gyeong in Korea, 14-21 May
Lienz in Austria, 11-18 June
Bayramoren in Turkey, 23-30 July
Ager in Spain, 20-27 August
Valle de Bravo in Mexico for the Superfinal, 24 Jan-4 Feb 2010
WATCH THE PWC: Paragliding World Cup TV on Vimeo
Task 5 of the 2011 Paragliding World Cup in Colombia
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