The Paragliding World Cup stop in Governador Valadares, Brazil, delivered an epic finale to the 2025 PWC season, setting the stage for the Superfinal in Spain. As the 7th and decisive event of the season, the pressure was definitely on for pilots looking to qualify for this event.

Governador Valadares lived up to its reputation as one of the most reliable and demanding venues on the circuit, known for its strong, smooth thermals and consistent, high-quality racing. The spectacular terrain, defined by rolling hills and wide valleys along the Doce River, offered an amazing playground for pilots to race in.

The competition featured seven consecutive tasks, with the final day offering a challenging 73.33 km task. The overall scoring was tight until the very end: after just three tasks, less than 10 points separated the top three pilots, and only 30.4 points covered the top five before the final task.

After the final task, it was a massive success for Ozone pilots! R&D Pilot Baptiste Lambert’s solid flying earned him the overall victory in the competition. He was joined on the podium by Roger Aeschbacher in 2nd and Arthur Moindrot in 3rd place. All three of our top overall pilots were flying the Ozone Enzo 3 + Submarine combo.

In Baptiste’s words: “First time flying in Governador Valadares! What an impressive site with a strong mix of conditions that made every task demanding. We saw everything from fast glides in +4 m/s thermals to careful survival in weak climbs, so constant adaptation was essential… Super happy with my flying; it earned me my 7th World Cup victory!”

For Arthur, this was his first World Cup podium. “Thrilled to kick off the 2026 season with the first World Cup in Brazil. Conditions were great with 7 out of 7 tasks flown, though the shifting pace made the racing demanding at times. My first World Cup podium and a 3rd place overall! I hope this is just the beginning.”

In the Women's category, Violeta Jimenez dominated the field to claim the top spot, followed by team pilot Marcella Uchoa, both on Ozone Enzo 3’s and Submarines, and Pamela Diez in 3rd flying the Ozone Zeno 2/Submarine.This was also Pamela’s first podium at a PWC: "...I would say that it makes me the happiest, even though I don't see it as an individual achievement, but as the result of a shared process where discipline, learning, and most importantly the people who have been with me every step of the way, my life team, come together, because without those valuable people, I wouldn't have had the strength to achieve it alone."

Congratulations and cheers from the Ozone team!

More information and results at https://pwca.events/

Next up is the 15th Paragliding World Cup Superfinal in Pegalajar, Spain, on May 12 - 23, 2026.

Photos courtesy of Martin Scheel