The youth are on the march. Two young French pilots triumphed at last week’s Swiss Paragliding Open in Verbier, successfully challenging some well known names in the sport.
François Montuori won the overall competition after four tasks, with his young teammate Hippolyte Melo taking second place. Switzerland’s Jérôme Kägi completed the podium and took the Swiss Champion title ahead of two legends of the sport, Stephan Morgenthaler, a previously number-one ranked pilot and Steve Cox, the 2005 World Champion.
The first two tasks saw strong thermals and a high base. “It was a very nice week, the playground is amazing,” François said. “It was interesting tactically, with two amazing days and high average speeds. The first task of 48km took less than one hour!”
The following two days saw more tricky conditions where patience and height was key to success. “I feel honoured to be on the podium with my young friend Hippolyte who flew incredibly well this week,” François added.
It was François’s last flight as a junior (U26) and he dedicated his win to his friend Timo Leonetti, who died in June this year. “He will remain a Junior in our hearts forever, and whom we will never forget.”
In the female ranking. Mathilde Chivet from France won ahead of the Junior Swiss pilot Zarah Zimmermann (who also won the overall sport class). Manuela Pfrunder came third.
