The 2nd FAI Junior World Paragliding Championship took place in Kruševo, North Macedonia, from 22 to 30 August 2026. A total of 49 pilots from 13 countries gathered for a demanding week of racing across seven scored tasks ranging from 51 to 100 kilometres. Tactical patience and adaptability proved essential, as overdevelopment, rain, and strong winds frequently threatened the valley, causing three tasks to be stopped early.

In the female category, Portugal’s Ivone Silva claimed the world title flying the Ozone Zeno 2 delivering a consistent performance across the week, regularly finishing in the top two on individual tasks. Great Britain’s Kanan Thakur won four of the seven tasks on the Ozone Zeno 2 and Submarine combo for a second place among the ladies and in the teams scores.

In the overalls, Germany’s Matthis Nedele secured third place flying the Ozone Enzo 3 and helping Team Germany take third in the nations ranking. Nedele reflected on the challenging week, noting that the conditions "pushed the team to its limits" across every task. Tactical decisions proved far more decisive than raw final-glide speed, exemplified by one demanding 100-kilometre task where only eight pilots reached goal after more than four hours in the air.

Beyond the racing, the event stood out for its vibrant atmosphere of youth, fun, and friendship. A high "fun level 100" compensated for some of the less favourable flying days towards the end of the event, and will probably be remembered for much longer. Reflecting on the atmosphere among the young pilots, Meet Director Goran Dimiskovsky said, "it is very touching to see that the spirit is still there and lives on in the younger generation."

Official results at https://civlcomps.org/event/pg-junior-worlds-2026/results

Congrats to all the pilots and cheers from all the Ozone team!

Photos courtesy of Kanan Thakur and CIVL