PWC 2021 Serbia: Simon Mettetal wins

19 July, 2021

Frenchman Simon Mettetal won the Serbia PWC 2021, with Brazilian pilot Marcella Uchoa taking the women’s title. It was a good competition for the French with all but one of the top ten places going their way.

After no tasks for the final two days it was Simon Mettetal who finished the hard-fought comp on top with just six points separating the top three. Second was Julien Wirtz with Honorin Hamard in third.

Ruth Jessop reports:

What an amazing competition with so many firsts!

In task three, forty-one pilots flew the longest task – 112 km – ever completed in Serbia. And the youngest competitor, 18-year-old Victor Boudet, stormed to victory winning task five.

With 10% of the pilots taking part born this century, it really was ‘The Young Ones’ World Cup.’

The task committee: Vladimir Bacanin, Pepe Malecki, Martin Jovanoski and Meet Director Predrag Dubic did an amazing job of setting a diverse range of tasks racing over the hills and valleys around Kopaonik.

We came here with ideas of elapsed-time tasks to create some complexity, but there was no need. The tasks we had were more than interesting and split everyone up. Varied weather conditions ensured that no two days were the same: flirting with overdevelopment to crushing stability to fabulous high cloudbases, this competition had it all. Every day we saw pilots breaking away, leading out and winning convincingly.

After four fantastic days’ flying, the overall winner was 21-year-old Simon Mettetal; Brazilian Marcella Uchoa took the top spot on the ladies’ podium.

The Paragliding World Cup is back – and looking younger than ever!

Congratulations to all the pilots who made Kopaonik 2021 such a special competition and well done to the top thirty and first three ladies who now have their place in the Superfinal.