Waterman League Stop #1 in Barcelona (Women’s Full Report + Photos+ Video)

Angie Jackson put up a solid fight in the long distance on Day 1, and once again stepped up to do battle today, showing herself worthy of the yellow jersey she was wearing at this prestigious World Championship Stop in Barcelona.

Today, finishing in 3rd place, she found herself tied with the young Slovenian talent, Manca Notar (Naish), with the tie being broken in Angie’s favor through the new tie breaker timing system. The new system compares the time of each athlete relative to the length of the course to determine the overall winner. In this case, it ended up being a 3.2 second difference between the two athletes, showing just how close the racing was and how competitive the field is becoming.

One thing is for sure, while Angie Jackson narrowly missed out on a Title in 2014, she is back in full force this year and is already putting herself well in contention for a Title in 2015.

Check out the Post Show and stay tuned for the full recap, photos and much more at www.watermanleague.com

Manca Notar (Naish) has been in the global paddling scene for several years now, but seems to have stepped up a notch this year as she put on an impressive performance here in Barcelona at Stop #1 of the 2015 Stand Up World Series.

Showing stamina and endurance to take a close 3rd place finish in the long distance, and then backing that up with a 2nd place in the sprints, her preferred discipline of the weekend of racing, Manca is coming of age on the World Series in 2015, as she sets herself up for a strong year ahead. Having just finished her schooling, she is now focused on the competitive season ahead, as she looks forward to the next World Series stop in Brazil this August.

One thing is for sure, she has a long career ahead of her and only seems to get better with age, so keep an eye out for this young Slovenian talent as the year progresses at watermanleague.com

Celine Guesdon (Bic SUP) has been stepping up all aspects of her paddling over the past 6 months, with a solid training program over the winter and build up to this prestigious World Series Opener here in Barcelona.

In the long distance, she put on a solid performance to post a 4th place finish, and then did the same today in the sprints, narrowly missing out on a podium finish. As one of France’s leading lights, there is no doubt that Celine will be a name to watch out for this year on the Stand Up World Series.

Watch the Post Show, stay tuned for the recap from Barcelona and build up to Finland right here at www.watermanleague.com

It seems only fitting that a Spanish athlete should finish in the top 5, and it ended up being Ana Zulaika Aranburu whose 5th place finish in the sprints today and 6th place in the long distance were enough to secure her a well deserved 5th place overall. A solid performance from this talented local athlete who is clearly a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

This event in Barcelona stood out in so many ways, but not least beacuse of the quantity of women talent that stepped up to do battle. With just shy of 100 women across both amateur, pro and youth divisions participating, the future for this young sport in Barcelona is assured, especially given the ideal conditions, warm water and appealing climate.

We are excited to see all the established contenders develop and new talent floursh in this magnificent City by the Sea as we return to Barcelona in 2016 for a next edition of the Iberdola Barcelona SUP World Series. Check out the Post Show and stay tuned for the full event recap at www.watermanleague.com