Olivia Piana turns SUPer star as Lincoln Dews makes a huge come back on top of the world with an ICF World Title
France’s Olivia Piana completed an incredible weekend of paddling by picking up her second gold medal and Australia’s Lincoln Dews turned on a SUP masterclass on the final day of competition in the 2019 ICF stand up paddling world championships in Qingdao, China.
Piana followed up her silver medal in the long race and a surprise gold in the sprint with an impressive win in the women’s technical race on Sunday. She took the lead early and stretched the margin the longer the race went on, confirming her status as the paddler of the world championships.
“This morning I woke up and I felt so tired after my win yesterday, and I slept only five hours last night,” Piana said. “I was surprised again to fly around the water, I was like ‘wow, what’s happened today’. It’s an historic event and I am so happy to be a part of it.”
Spain’s Susak Molinero took the silver, and USA’s Fiona Wylde took the bronze.
Blackfish Paddles team rider Dews bounced back from a disappointing start to the ICF world championships with a gutsy win in the technical final. Dews led from the start, with 200 metre sprint world champion Connor Baxter pushing him all the way.
He said he felt strong enough throughout the race to lead all the way. “When I race I like to wear my heart on my sleeve and I want to race in the front,” Dews said. “Today was a good example. I was either going to die, or win. It hurts a little bit less when you come across the line first, but it was a very tough race and a very tough weekend. “I had a pretty average form coming into today. My distance race was pretty average, so I knew I just needed to get out there and find my own water, and get my rhythm again. But even my heats and semi-finals, I started to feel better but I wasn’t 100 per cent. But I think I got out there this afternoon and get everything right, and everything started to click.”
USA’s Connor Baxter finished second, with fellow Australian Ty Judson taking third position.
Japan picked up two more gold medals on the final day, with Rai Taguchi winning his second junior gold medal, this time in the technical race, while Takayo Yokoyama won her third gold medal in the women’s 40+ division.
Australia’s Martin Marinov picked up his second gold medal, this time in the 50+ technical race, Brazil’s Americo Pinheiro won the men’s 40+ category, while USA’s Kristin Thomas won the women’s 50+.
Brianna Orams gave New Zealand its first gold medal of the weekend with victory in the technical junior women’s race.
Japan finished the ICF SUP world championships as the most successful nation, winning seven gold medals and 11 overall, with Australia finishing with four gold and five overall. Host nation China finished third on the medal table with two gold and a total of 15 medals.
RESULTS ICF SUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
DAY 3 – TECHNICAL RACES
The Gorge Ultra Distance went all in on SUP – and it delivered. Held on 12 July, the inaugural 17-mile downwind race unfolded in one of the world’s most iconic downwind playgrounds: the Columbia River Gorge. Organisers also introduced a 7-mile Short Course option, opening the event to a wider range of paddlers and giving […]
Over the years, we’ve made it a point to shine a light on the next generation of stand-up paddlers, following their journeys as they grow from promising juniors into athletes ready to challenge the world’s best. Few things are more inspiring than watching young SUP athletes make the leap from the junior ranks to the […]
The future of stand-up paddling took centre stage in Bascov, Romania, as the first-ever International Canoe Federation (ICF) event dedicated exclusively to junior SUP athletes welcomed the world’s top U14, U16 and U18 racers. More than just another competition, the inaugural 2026 ICF SUP Junior International Cup marked a groundbreaking step in the sport’s development, […]
When Starboard announced Shuri Araki as the newest member of its Dream Team at the beginning of the year, the SUP world took notice. At just 20 years old, the Okinawan has already amassed eight senior World Championship titles – six ISA and two ICF – and remarkably, he has never raced in the junior division. […]
Fresh off his appearance on LENNY BROS – the podcast hosted by Kai and Ridge Lenny – Connor Baxter opened up about the mindset behind dominating a sport for over a decade, while reflecting on the many transitions shaping this next chapter of his life: from a global SUP-erstar to fatherhood and becoming a Maui […]
The SUP calendar has never been more dynamic – but every so often, an event comes along that places stand-up paddling firmly and unapologetically at the heart of the experience. That’s exactly the vision behind the inaugural Gorge Ultra Distance, a 17-mile endurance challenge held on 12 July and set against one of the world’s […]
Welcome to the livestream of the 2026 Spring SUP Race in Comacchio, Italy, the opening stop of the 2026 ICF SUP Race circuit. We’re broadcasting live on Facebook, YouTube, and right here on TotalSUP.com, where you can follow the livestream players and updated results. Mr TotalSUP Mathieu Astier is on the mic, guiding you through […]
Indonesia’s SUP scene is growing rapidly, with athletes like 21-year-old Dessy Welmince representing a new generation of competitive paddlers. Coming from a canoeing background, she has successfully transferred her strength and water skills to SUP racing. At the 2025 ICF World Championships in Abu Dhabi, she delivered impressive results on her SUNOVA board, demonstrating both […]
Based in Volos, Greece, NSP athlete Penny Tsaoutou is one of the most accomplished paddlers in the Women’s 50+ category. A former ski racer and coach, she discovered stand-up paddling in 2018 and quickly turned her passion into international success. Since her first appearance at the ICF World Championships in 2019, she has collected an outstanding twelve […]