Palermo sailor Laura Grasso Castagnetta secured Italy’s second gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Sunday, winning the Techno 293 windsurfing title after five days of leading the standings, La Sicilia reported.
The 15-year-old athlete from the Club Canottieri Roggero di Lauria finished the 14 contested races with 24 net points in the waters of Saly Beach West. Spain’s Olivia Sanchez finished second with the same number of points, while China’s Ziyan Wu claimed third place with 27 points ahead of Greece’s Kyriaki Zerva with 38 points.
Organizers canceled the final fifteenth race scheduled for Sunday, cementing the standings and confirming the Sicilian sailor at the top of the fleet under the supervision of Italian Youth Technical Director and four-time Olympic windsurfing medalist Alessandra Sensini.
“Stamattina ero molto in ansia e oggi la regata non è andata neanche troppo bene,” Grasso Castagnetta told La Sicilia. “Quando hanno annullato la regata mi sono detta: sono seconda non c’è niente da fare e invece ho scoperto di essere prima ed è stata una felicità ancora più bella perché inaspettata.”
The young windsurfer credited the guidance of Sensini throughout the international event in Senegal, pointing to both technical and psychological preparation during the intense regatta schedule.
“Essere allenata da Alessandra Sensini? E’ stato qualcosa di unico,” Grasso Castagnetta told La Sicilia. “Sono veramente contenta di aver fatto questa esperienza con lei, mi ha dato un grande aiuto dal punto di vista tecnico e mentale, sotto tutti gli aspetti.”
Grasso Castagnetta managed her position through Sunday’s final two on-water phases, securing fourth and ninth-place finishes to preserve her narrow margin over the chasing Spanish fleet. Her gold follows track and field athlete Poko Silvia Canape’s victory in the long jump, lifting the Italian team’s gold tally at the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games.
The Youth Olympic Games for under-18 competitors, previously held in Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in 2014, and Buenos Aires in 2018, have frequently served as a springboard for athletes who later reached senior Olympic podiums.
Past participants include judoka Fabio Basile, boxer Irma Testa, swimmer Simona Quadarella, sprinter Filippo Tortu, and weightlifter Mirko Zanni. Sicilian representation at the youth games spans multiple editions, beginning in 2010 when current world-ranking leader Alberta Santuccio won team gold and individual silver in fencing alongside double gold-medalist Marco Fichera.
Gymnast Carlotta Ferlito also claimed medals in Singapore before competing at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, while subsequent editions featured judoka Elios Manzi in Nanjing and boxer Martina La Piana, who won gold in Buenos Aires.
Italy’s delegation in Senegal collected medals across multiple disciplines during the youth competition.
- Gold: Poko Silvia Canape (athletics, long jump) and Laura Grasso Castagnetta (sailing, Techno 293 windsurfing).
- Silver: Micol Lafuenti and Margherita Coretti (beach volleyball); Lorenzo Ceccarello (cycling, individual time trial).
- Bronze: Sara Coni (judo, 44 kg); Virginia Lampis (taekwondo, 44 kg); Francesca Aina (fencing, épée); Michela Guglielmon (boxing, 48 kg).
The competition concluded following the final classification adjustments in Saly Beach West.
