Marta Maggetti IQFoil World Champion 2022

Posted by RIWmag on 26 Oct 2022 /

Marta Maggetti wins her first IQFoil world title in Brest with perfect tactical event management.
Always a promise of Olympic windsurfing manages to excel just under two years from the next Olympics in Paris.
RIWmag reached her on the phone when she had just landed in Cagliari: After the dutiful compliments here is finally the interview.

RIWmag: Hello Martha, We imagine that you will be in great demand to give hot interviews after your prestigious victory. Congratulations again and thank you for accepting our invitation! How you feel today?
Marta Maggetti: Hello! Thank you very much, it is always a pleasure to tell my adventures and emotions. I'm still a bit’ Incredulous, but so much happy, Although today I honestly begin to feel very tired, The adrenaline in circulation is slowly going away all.

RIW: This and’ Your first world victory in the Olympic category. After countless victories in the youth category, it always takes time to climb the Olympic rankings. What’ status for you the key moment or factor of this event?
M..: You, It's a result I've been waiting for for many years, and honestly even though I felt quite ready for this event, never to think all this, But on the other hand, good things come when you least expect it, if above all there has always been a lot of work behind it, Dedication and passion. And this world championship has an added value given that in Italy the last to win a world championship was Alessandra Sensini more than 10 years ago. To tell the truth I do not have precise what the secret is, but I can only say that serenity, The awareness of one's own means and the desire to do something great give the right charge to make the best in the water, stress-free, without expectations, proving only to yourself what you are worth without having the fear of disappointing anyone or having to do something for others.

RIW: Have you ever sailed in Brest? What conditions did you encounter during the race week?
M..: Yes in the past, during a European Youth RS:X in 2013 about, it didn't go really well, in fact I don't have good memories of that regatta at all. During the world championship we met almost every day wind from the SOUTH SOUTH-WEST, Being a very particular and narrow bay, the wind always underwent great variations in intensity with very short gusts. So they were all very difficult tests where you had to fight until the last meter. The nice thing is that in the end it was a very varied week, medium wind, strong and also very light, managing to carry out many tests both course race (then with upwind) and both slalom with crossbar starts. The only route we could not do is the Marathon due to too unstable or too strong wind where many assistance dinghies would have been needed, So there wouldn't have been the right safety for so many athletes.

RIW: C'e’ It was an exact moment when you felt the title in your pocket or waited to cross the finish line of the Medal Race before achieving the result you had obtained?
M..: I am a bit superstitious and anyway I always try to keep a low profile even during my reasoning, when I'm alone with my head and my body. Until the very last I tried to stay calm without thinking about victory., although I can't deny that when behind me, in the last two edges of the Medal Race, I saw that I was completely alone, I started taking deep breaths, Because I was kind of realizing what was going to happen.. But once you cross the finish line … I burst with emotions, I hugged my coach Riccardo Belli tightly, who still perhaps had not realized, in the water there was also Adriano Stella my former coach who followed me in RS:X for many years and I could only hug him tightly too. I could hear the applause in the background, The cries, The cheering of the Italians and all those who were watching from the pier on the ground. I felt for once the protagonist and it was wonderful!

RIW: In past interviews you had not hidden that you could not wait to switch from the RS class:X to that IQFoil. Now that the IQFoil class is part of your routine you are always happy and convinced of this new format?
M..: Making it clear that the RS class:X has always given me great satisfaction and I must say that in addition to the great effort that was made with the light wind, with waves and strong wind I had crazy fun, but yes, Let's say I was also attracted to this new class with the foil, attracted by change, Get back into the game from scratch, A new challenge. Now yes, I'm happy, I always have great stimuli and the format that is there now is not bad in my opinion, Maybe with the passage of time you will change a little bit, but so’ The format makes everything more adrenaline.

RIW: The RS medal race:X allowed to distort, among the first 10, The results of the whole week. The IQFoil medal races, on the other hand, allow you to arrive at a final result that also takes into account the results of the whole week. What do you think?
M..: Let's say that with the RS format:X before who was in front is because he had a great consistency during the week so in some cases he arrived in the final with more certainty, where the tenth hardly had the chance to play for the medal, In fact, there have been many cases at the Olympics as well., that people win a day early. And let's say that for the public it is not really spectacular, For people who may not be experts in the discipline, they see the final and do not understand certain dynamics. Now the new format should be more compelling. It's so thrilling for all athletes.: you have to be cold blood, be ready for anything and try to push the table to the maximum even more than before.

RIW: In the RS class:X there were only course race regattas. In the IQFoil class there are both course races and slalom. On average, athletes arriving from the World Cup excel in slalom, Those who come from the Olympic class in the course race. You, on the contrary, have shown consistency and regularity’ in both formats. And’ Maybe this is your strength compared to your opponents?
M..: I showed consistency in both just with hard training., Because initially as I started training in the slalom I was a landslide with the time on distance, I couldn't get away with it, Fortunately in the last two months I started to get into gear well and to be more and more precise. Perhaps only in the very first year of racing you could notice this difference between the athletes who came from the Olympic class and the PWA. Now the level of the fleet is rising more and more and in front there are only those who continue to have a great commitment and take care of all the small details.

RIW: After the victory on facebook you wrote that you are not happy only for the world title but for what you have shown yourself, the determination and mentality that you kept throughout the week and that allowed you to express the real Martha. The goal of this championship was not so much focused on the result, but on the search for strong emotions and to live them to the fullest. Do you think you have reached a new level of performance and can replicate it consistently at the next international competitions?
M..: Surely I have reached a higher level, but I'm not talking about performance, Because that can't be perfect all year round, there are ups and downs, Maybe episodes that can lead to complications, but if you have a strong mental level, This can help save certain situations., give solutions to problems and therefore when there is a need, you compete for the most part, just head trying to ward off any external interference. So I am aware that continuing to train on the board and especially mentally you could do great things. This is just a starting point, From now on it will be more and more difficult, but I certainly won't sit and watch..

RIW: What are your next commitments and your next goals?
M..: Now I expect a fairly calm November from training and sporting commitments, I will try to enjoy it a bit’ of well-deserved rest and calmly in December I will start training again. The season 2022 can be considered closed for me. From 2023 immediately in January until March we will move with the Federation to Lanzarote, An ideal place to do many hours of water with incredible weather and sea conditions. From there we will start the whole circuit from scratch with the aim of selecting the nation at the next world championships to be held in Holland next summer.

RIW: Congratulations again and thanks both for your nice availability’ that for the emotions you have given us during this week.
M..: It is a great pleasure to let you know my points of view and convey all these emotions, Keep cheering, and long live Sardinia! A huge hug to all of you lovers of sea and wind. MARTA ENG-157
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