Hawkins and Wilson take double British victory at iQFOiL Games opener

Britain's Emma Wilson and Finn Hawkins have claimed gold at the opening iQFOiL Games of 2026 in Lanzarote, capping a week that threw just about everything at the world's best windfoilers.

Wilson, the defending champion, was never really troubled throughout the event at Marina Rubicón. Three race wins on Day 2 extended an already commanding lead, and while the final day's Medal Series couldn't be completed due to fading breeze, she'd done more than enough to secure the title. 

“I wasn't trying to peak but ended up doing well,” she said afterwards. “I was always consistent and at the top which I'm pretty happy with because it's the start of the new season.”

Israel's Sharon Kantor took silver, with Paris 2024 Olympic champion Marta Maggetti of Italy claiming bronze.

For Hawkins, the road to victory was a little less certain. After leading on Day 1, he was briefly overhauled by Italy's Federico Pilloni on Day 2. But across a week that demanded adaptability above all else, the Briton kept posting results when it mattered. 

“I had a pretty crazy week,” he admitted. “We did start off with some sprint slaloms, then went into some light wind sprint upwinds the next day, and then we finished off the week with some windy course racing. Across the week I managed to keep posting good results in all the different formats and all the different conditions.”

France's Nicolas Goyard finished second in the men's fleet, with compatriot Yun Pouliquen rounding out the podium in third. Denmark's Johan Søe, winner of the 2025 edition, and Paris Olympic bronze medallist Luuc Van Opzeeland of the Netherlands were among those eliminated in the semi-finals as the French contingent dominated the knockout stages.

The final day proved anticlimactic. The race committee spent the morning hunting for workable breeze around the Playa de Papagayo area, eventually finding enough to run the men's quarter-finals and semi-finals in around 7 knots. But before the grand final could be completed, the wind died for good.

By that point the overall standings were already well established. Hawkins and Wilson had done the hard work across the week. With 101 competitors from almost 30 nations on the start line, the depth of the iQFOiL fleet continues to impress, and the variety of conditions in Lanzarote served as a reminder that Olympic windfoiling rewards the complete athlete.

Less than a month until they go again. The second iQFOiL Games of 2026 takes place in Cádiz, Spain from 7-13 March, where steady Atlantic breeze will offer another chance to see who's got the complete package heading towards LA 2028.