VNR Alert: Final day drama decides medals at the 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships

Mussanah, 8 December 2025 – The last day of the inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships 2025, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman and organised by Oman Sail, brought the event to a close with dramatic racing, jubilation and a strong sense of triumph amongst all participants.

Conditions were excellent, as throughout the week, allowing the sailors to showcase their skill and tactical brilliance in Para Inclusive Sailing across all four classes.

In the Two Person Keelboat (RS Venture Connect), the Polish team of Piotr Cichocki and Olga Gornas-Grudzien overcame a disqualification in the sixth race to post two more wins and seal gold. Pau Toni Homar and Ramon Gutierrez of Spain saved their best form for last, climbing the leaderboard in the final series of races to take silver with victory in the last race. The Greek-1 team of Vasilis Christoforou and Thodoris Alexas took bronze after finishing second in the final race, while the Norwegian pair Stian Kristiansen and Elliot Finnestrand finished fourth, level on points with the Greek pair.

Great Britain’s Murray Macdonald sealed gold in the Intellectual Impairment (ILCA 6) event after ending every day in first place with six wins from 10 races. Marwan Suloom of the UAE claimed silver with four successive top-two finishes – including winning the final race. Man Hong Leung from Hong Kong, China, finished third to take bronze, narrowly edging out compatriot Tsz Hin Cheung in fourth.

Once the waves had calmed, attention shifted to the closing ceremony and prize giving, where the top three in each category received their medals from Guest of Honour H.E. Dr. Laila bint Ahmed Al-Najjar, Minister of Social Development, who said:

“We are deeply proud of what we witnessed today at the World Sailing Championship for Persons with Disabilities, and of the remarkable performance and exemplary sportsmanship demonstrated by all participants. Their achievements reaffirm that persons with disabilities possess exceptional capabilities and great potential, and that they are fully able to compete and excel at both the national and international levels.

This championship is not merely a sporting competition; it carries a profound humanitarian message that reinforces the principle that sport is a right for all — a right enshrined in the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This law ensures their empowerment and facilitates their equal participation with others in camps and in cultural, sporting, and recreational activities at the local, regional, and international levels, ultimately contributing to strengthening their active engagement in society and achieving full and effective inclusion.

We extend our congratulations to all winning teams, participating athletes, and the organizers of this championship. We reaffirm our full commitment, together with our partners across the governmental, private, and civil sectors, to continue supporting persons with disabilities, providing them with all necessary resources, and enabling their active participation in all arenas, thereby upholding and reinforcing the principle of equal opportunities for all.”

Dr Khamis Salim Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, commented on the importance of this event to the future of Para Inclusive Sailing, saying:

“Twenty-eight nations came together on the waters of the Gulf of Oman, reaffirming that sport is a universal language, one that transcends borders and unites people under the banner of ambition and achievement.”

“This first-ever edition has written a new chapter in the global journey of Para Inclusive Sailing, placing the Sultanate of Oman — through Oman Sail — at the forefront as the first country in the world to host this championship. It marks a springboard for future editions and a pivotal step towards integrating para sailing into upcoming Olympic competitions.”

Hannah Stodel, Para Sailing Manager at World Sailing, closed the event with a rousing speech about the future of Para Inclusive Sailing:

“Sailors came from every corner of the globe, arriving with determination, joy, and the fierce competitive spirit that defines Para Inclusive Sailing. Whether this was your first event or your fiftieth, you have been nothing short of inspirational.

This week we saw courage, tactical brilliance, grit, heartbreak, triumph, and some of the purest sailing I’ve ever witnessed. Medals tell one story — but showing up tells the real one. And every single one of you showed up. For yourselves. For your teams. For Para Inclusive Sailing. For the future.

This championship marks a turning point. A bold, unapologetic statement that Para Inclusive Sailing belongs on the world stage — not hidden, not sidelined, but central to our sport’s future. We are building something monumental together.”

This event in the Sultanate of Oman marked the start of a new high-level international competition for Para Inclusive Sailing. A total of 127 participants from 28 nations competed throughout the week out of the 155 from 37 nations who registered. Despite the challenges which prevented some nations from travelling to Oman, the first edition of the World Sailing Inclusion Championships has been a success and sets in motion a new era for Para Inclusive Sailing.

The closing ceremony concluded with a flag handover from the Sultanate of Oman to next year’s hosts, the city of Portimão in Portugal.

The championships were powered by Oman Sail and the Oman Maritime Sports Committee and supported by World Sailing’s global partners Musto and Kuehne+Nagel; Strategic Partners the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Experience Oman, and the Al Batinah South Governorate; and Bronze Partners Barceló Mussanah Resort, OXY Oman, Visit Oman, Tanuf, and Mazoon Dairy.

Read more about the World Sailing Inclusion Championships here. 

For the detailed results, please click here. 

Text Credits: Oman Sail/World Sailing
Photo Credits: Oman Sail
Video Credits:  Icarus Sports

TV broadcasters: ICARUS Sports’ output from the WS Inclusion Worlds 2025 is now uploaded on ICARUS Sports SERVER:

VNR SHOTLIST:
WS Inclusion Worlds 2025  – 08.12 – Direct download* HERE. 

*direct download links expire in 30 days

Please find here the link in order to register and use ICARUS Sports server:
http://portal.icarus-sports.com/

As long as you register, you will get access to our folder with the Events 2025.
Subfolder: /WS Inclusion World Championship 2025 – Oman

Please note that the direct download links might not work with all browsers such as Google Chrome. You may use an alternative browser such as Mozilla Firefox, alternatively visit the ICARUS Sports server directly to access our content.