WORLD CUP STARS MAKE MEDITERRANEAN GAMES HEADLINES

Staged every four years in the historical and cultural home region of the Olympic Games, this huge Multi Sport event in Pescara Italy has this year attracted 29 sports from 23 countries – including Waterski and Wakeboard. This is the 16th Mediterranean Games and includes Slalom, Tricks and Wakeboard.

The opening ceremony in Pescara on Italy’s east coast was spectacular. Attended by over 20,000 spectators, including Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Kuno Ritschard representing the IWSF, it involved Italian Air Force acrobatics in the dark sky above the Pescara Stadium, fireworks, an enormous colourful stage and field presentation which reminded us all of the Beijing Olympics – and of course the arrival of the athletes in full uniform from 23 countries. Silvio Falcioni, President of the Italian Waterski Federation, captured the headlines in the Newspapers the following day seen marching with Italy’s large team. For our Waterski and Wakeboard athletes it was a very special experience and all got an real insight to what it must be like to enter the actual Olympic arena.

Our World Cup stars captured a pile of Mediterranean Games medals in Slalom and Tricks. This will set them up very well for our first 2009 World Cup Stop in Dubna Russia next week. Clementine Lucine took the Tricks Gold (8220) and Slalom Silver (2 buoys at 12m)

In Slalom, in spite of her shoulder injury, Anais Amade FRA just got ahead of Clementine Lucine FRA to take the Gold.

The Monday Finals were televised live on TV RAI 2 – the major Italian Sports network. Official Photographers Getty also captured great images from their on-board cameras.

Dubna Russia next Stop !