Alba Frey Doubles Up as Donato Freens and Sergio Cantoral Split the Men’s Titles in Poland

The fourth stop of the 2026 European SUP League brought the tour to southern Poland for the ODRA SUP CUP, although this year’s edition did not take place on the Odra River in Racibórz as its name suggests. Instead, competition was held on a picturesque lake in Rybnik, around 30 minutes from the organising club RTW Racibórz.

Originally founded as one of Poland’s historic rowing clubs, RTW Racibórz has successfully reinvented itself as one of the country’s leading youth hubs for stand-up paddle racing under the guidance of the ever-dedicated coach Mariusz Miczek. Once again, the local club partnered with the European SUP League to deliver an impeccably organised event that continued to raise the standard for the tour.

As has become customary with the European SUP League, the venue featured outstanding event presentation, with start lane banners, inflatable arches, branded race infrastructure and numerous visual elements giving the competition a truly international feel. Three judges from the European Surfing Federation oversaw the racing throughout the weekend, while competitors enjoyed perfect summer conditions with hot temperatures and uninterrupted blue skies.

Unlike the other European SUP League stops this season, the Polish event featured only two of the League’s official disciplines. Athletes competed in the Technical Race and the 200-metre Sprint, while the Long Distance race was not part of this year’s programme. A total prize purse of €6,000 was on offer, split equally between the two competitions.

Among the many international racers, the overall series leaders all made the trip to Poland. Dutch star Donato Freens arrived wearing the Technical Race leader’s jersey, Spain’s Sergio Cantoral led the Sprint standings, while Spain’s Alba Frey came into the weekend full of confidence after winning both previous Technical Race events in Santa Pola and Zurich.

Saturday – Technical Race

Saturday opened the weekend with the Technical Race, featuring 600-metre semi-finals before a demanding 1,200-metre final. As expected, the racing was fast, tactical and closely contested, with buoy turns once again proving decisive.

The fourth stop of the European SUP League got underway with Donato Freens and Alba Frey producing excellent performances to strengthen their positions in the overall standings.

Donato Freens Takes the Win in a Highly Competitive Final

In the Men’s Elite final, Infinity & Black Project rider from the Netherlands, Donato Freens, claimed victory after another closely fought battle at the front of the field.

Spain’s Sergio Cantoral crossed the finish line in second place after another outstanding performance, while his 17 year old brother who keeps making waves among the Open Men, Rubén Cantoral, completed the podium in third. The brothers once again showcased the remarkable depth of Spanish paddling by placing two athletes on the podium.

Italy’s Filippo Mercuriali finished a solid fourth after another consistent performance, while local favourite Krystian Świerkowski completed the top five. The Polish paddler impressed throughout the day by repeatedly getting ahead of many of the event favourites during the opening 50 metres of each of his races before eventually settling into fifth overall.

Alba Frey Extends Her Technical Race Winning Streak

The Women’s Elite race saw Alba Frey, racing for Starboard and the reigning Spanish National Champion, continue her perfect Technical Race season.

Already victorious in Santa Pola and Zurich, Frey claimed her third consecutive European SUP League Technical Race win with another composed performance.

Behind her, the ever-impressive 17-year-old Nuria Chiquero, representing Parres Watersports Club in Alicante, delivered another excellent performance to finish second. Her teammate Inés Blin, now competing in the Open category after moving up from the juniors, completed an all-Spanish podium in third.

Another Parres Watersports athlete, Amelia Moral, finished fourth, underlining the remarkable strength of the Alicante club, while local paddler Lena Nowak delighted the home crowd with fifth place.

Nuria Chiquero & Amelia Moral

Sunday – Sprint Racing

Sunday was dedicated to the explosive 200-metre Sprint, with athletes racing 100 metres to a turning buoy—choosing either the left or right buoy depending on their strategy—before sprinting 100 metres back to the finish. Fast reactions, acceleration, tactical buoy selection and flawless board handling all played crucial roles in determining the winners.
The final day produced spectacular racing and concluded with victories for Sergio Cantoral and Alba Frey, giving Spain another hugely successful day and allowing Frey to leave Poland with a perfect double.

Sergio Cantoral Wins the Sprint After the Crawling-vs-Diving debate

The Men’s Elite Sprint delivered one of the most talked-about finishes of the 2026 European SUP League season.

Reigning 2025 ICF Sprint World Champion Sergio Cantoral reversed Saturday’s result by narrowly defeating Donato Freens in an incredibly close final.

However, the race became the centre of discussion after Cantoral lost his balance during his dismount at the finish. Instead of diving across the line, Sergio stumbled, landed with both feet on the ground and, while still holding his paddle, crawled forward to ensure that his chest crossed the finish line before Freens.

The judges carefully reviewed the incident before confirming the victory. Their ruling was based on several key observations:

Sergio had not intentionally dived, an action prohibited under European SUP League rules and normally punished with a 30-second penalty.
– His feet remained in contact with the ground throughout the sequence.
– He maintained possession of his paddle.
– His chest crossed the finish line before Donato Freens’.
The judges’ explanation was detailed and logical, and under the European SUP League rulebook the decision was entirely justified. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting point of discussion, as it is not certain that other international federations would necessarily interpret the situation in the same way.

In effect, the decision establishes an important precedent within the European SUP League: crawling is not considered diving, and therefore remains legal provided the athlete continues to satisfy the finishing requirements.

Behind the leading duo, misfortune struck Rubén Cantoral, who fell into the water while negotiating the buoy turn and was unable to challenge for another podium finish.

That opened the door for 32-year-old Italian Filippo Mercuriali, who produced another excellent race to claim a thoroughly deserved third place. Mercuriali deserves special recognition, as alongside Donato Freens he remains one of only two athletes to have competed at all four European SUP League events this season, with plans already in place to race the remaining two stops.

The B Final also produced one of the weekend’s most emotional stories. Oleksii Sidenko won the race to secure fifth place overall, marking his return to international SUP competition after a four-year absence. Mobilised with the Ukrainian army during the war, Sidenko spoke of how meaningful it was to reunite with his fellow SUP racers on the international stage. Poland’s Krystian Świerkowski finished sixth overall after another strong weekend.

Donato Freens completed another excellent event with victory in the Technical Race and second place in the Sprint, while Rubén Cantoral backed up his third place in Saturday’s Technical Race with fourth place in Sunday’s Sprint.

Alba Frey Completes the Double

In the Women’s Sprint final, Alba Frey once again proved unbeatable.

Having already won Saturday’s Technical Race, the Spanish star added the Sprint title to complete a flawless weekend in Poland and further consolidate her position as one of the standout athletes of the 2026 European SUP League season.

Her double victory in Rybnik confirms her exceptional consistency across both disciplines and reinforces her status as one of the favourites heading into the final part of the tour.

Halfway Through an Outstanding European SUP League Season

With four highly successful events now completed, the 2026 European SUP League reaches its halfway point having delivered consistently high-level racing, excellent organisation and growing international participation at every stop.
The circuit now enters a two-month summer break before returning for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the season.

The fifth stop will be the Isla Cristina SUP Race from 4–6 September, before the tour heads immediately to its grand finale at the Sesimbra SUP Race in Portugal from 7–13 September, where substantial prize money and the coveted 2026 European SUP League overall titles will be decided.

With Donato Freens and Sergio Cantoral continuing their fascinating rivalry in the men’s competition, and Alba Frey putting together one of the strongest seasons on tour, the battle for the 2026 European SUP League crowns is set for a thrilling conclusion.