Frenchman Noic Garioud won his second sprint title, American Seychelle Webster her first, and there was a first ever world championship gold for Indonesia among the highlights of an action-packed ICF stand up paddling world titles in Pattaya, Thailand, on Thursday.

There were also two gold medals for Greece, and single titles for Germany, Slovakia and for Olga Merkulova, racing under the flag of the ICF.

Two years after he wrested the ICF SUP sprint world title crown off American Connor Baxter in Hungary for the first time, Noic Garrioud was back on top of the podium again in Pattaya on Thursday, once again turning the tables on the American.

Last year in Poland Garioud was unable to defend his crown, losing to Baxter, but on Thursday he showed he is back to his best after undergoing two operations on a troublesome knee, storming home over the 200 metre course to defeat Baxter, with Bulgaria’s Andrii Kraitor taking the bronze.

“I definitely wanted that title so bad, to be honest I don’t remember much of the final,” Garioud said.

“My knee feels better, I can still feel it sometimes, but it’s good to be back on the podium and in first place for sure. I’m more relaxed now that I have my title, so I’ll definitely give it 100 percent for the distance and the technical races.”

American Seychelle Webster was making her ICF world titles debut in Thailand, after taking two years off from the sport for the birth of her first child. She won an ICF world cup gold in Florida earlier this year, and then carried that form into Thursday’s final.

She said it was never certain she would return to top level racing after she took her break.

“Yes, but there were moments, no,” she said.

“But I know that this is my calling, this is where I am meant to be. This is what I can’t not do, this is where I feel exactly I have to be, paddling and sharing this sport and this life with the world.

“You don’t have much time to yourself, and definitely not to train, so I’m training less than I ever have and performing even better. So there’s something magical that happens when you become a mother. We’re really limitless, everyone is, and I think mothers tap into that.”

Argentina’s Juliette Duhaime took the silver, and South Africa’s Tarryn King celebrated her return to the ICF world championships by grabbing the bronze.

Indonesia’s Arip Purnama made ICF SUP history, winning his country’s first ever world title at any level by taking out the junior men’s final. The 17-year-old started from lane one, took the lead early and defied running down to take an exciting victory.

Greece picked up two gold medals, with Kyriaki Logotheti snatching a last-gasp victory in the women’s junior final, and Penny Tsaoutou taking the women’s 50 plus crown.

Germany’s Peter Weidert defended the men’s 50 plus world title he won last year, adding to the 40 plus title he already has in his keeping. he posted one of the most convincing wins of the day. In the men’s 40 plus final it was Slovakia’s Tomas Lelovits who was crowned champion.

RESULTS

WOMEN’S OPEN

1. WEBSTER Seychelle (USA)
2. DUHAIME Juliette (ARG)
3. KING Tarryn (RSA)

MEN’S OPEN

1. GARIOUD Noic (FRA)
2. BAXTER Connor (USA)
3. KRAYTOR Andrii (BUL)

WOMEN’S JUNIOR

1. LOGOTHETI Kyriaki (GRE)
2. PAMPINELLA Cecilia (ITA)
3. PINTERIC Naja (SLO)

MEN’S JUNIOR

1. PURNAMA Arip  (INA)
2. GARIOUD Vaic          (FRA)
3. VOULGARIS Andreas (GRE)

WOMEN’S 40 +

1. MERKULOVA Olga  (ICF)
2. VAN MASLEN Petronella (NED)
3. YOKOYAMA Takayo (JPN)

MEN’S 40 +

1. LELOVITS Tomas (SVK)
2. DARRIEUMERLOU Olivier (FRA)
3. YOSHIDA Ryohei (JPN)

WOMEN’S 50 +

1. TSAOUTOU Penny (GRE)
2. YOUNGMI Kim (KOR)
3. BERGH Marlene (NZL)

MEN’S 50 +

1. WEIDERT Peter (GER)
2. MARINOV Martin (AUS)
3. CAIN Larry (CAN)

Pics by Georgia Schofield