NextGen: Lewandowska making habit of success after 29er title repeat

The 18-year-old is the only talent at the event on Lake Garda to grab two golds in as many Championships following a tense deciding day in the men’s/mixed class alongside Krzysztof Królik.

“It feels great,” she said. “Everyone would be happy to win the women’s and then the mixed skiff, we have to celebrate the success.”

In Buzios, Brazil in 2023, she partnered Julia Maria Zmudzinska for gold in the women’s 29er but switched things up in 2024 as her fellow world champion teammate became too old for the class.

Enter stage left, Królik, the Warsaw-born fellow 18-year-old also embarking on his final journey as a 29er athlete.

“With my former helm, we were too big and we needed to split and change something,” Królik said.

“Her crew member was too old so we came up with this idea to sail together.

“We sailed from February and now we are doing one last season in 29er.

“We talked a lot and had various styles of sailing but right now we are using a perfect fit for us both.

“As a whole team, we are progressing and that’s amazing.

“Some of our races were very strong, some of them were weaker and it is really dependent on the day.”

 

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Poland put on an eye-catching 29er display in Trentino, claiming both men’s/mixed and women’s skiff titles off the back of European glory on home waters in Gdynia.

Teammates Alicja Dampc and Alicja Tutkowska’s 27 points ensured a comfortable win in the women’s skiff but Lewandowska and Królik took the scenic route for their Italian triumph.

The duo trailed Great Britain’s Finian Morris and Charlie Gran by two points going into the last race but only had eyes for the title in the decider and sealed victory with a commanding second-place finish.

Lewandowska’s heart rate was high but she insists there has been no better way to cap off her final Youth Sailing World Championships as the sun sets on her youth career.

“I can say for both of us that we want to somehow continue our journey with sailing but we’re open and that’s how we think it will go,” she said.

“All of us in the team are pushing each other and actually having fun with training and doing the regattas and sailing, it’s a beautiful sport.

“We’re both winners and what could be better?”

There is one last hurrah for Lewandowska alongside Królik as the pair target the 2024 29er World Championship in Aarhus Denmark next month.

“It’s our last regatta in 29er,” she added. “We are heading to Aarhus and then we are ending the 29er journey.”