Rashid closes in on fifth world title
Abu Dhabi: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al Mulla aims to clinch a fith successive freestyle crown in the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship when the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy completes the 2022 series at the weekend.
The Emirati arrives in the coastal city of Olbia defending a remarkable five-year unbeaten run which has seen him record 13 overall Grand Prix victories and win 28 motos in a row.
Al Mulla’s dominance of the world freestyle series has not been seriously threatened since his first Grand Prix triumph back in November 2017, and he remains highly motivated to deliver more titles to Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club.
“I want to keep on winning, and it’s Team Abu Dhabi and the club that really motivate me,” he said. “I work hard to bring in new tricks every year, like the double back flip. I put in a lot of hours in training to be able to achieve more height.”
As a result of his latest Grand Prix triumph in Spain, Al Mulla holds a six-point lead from one of his main challengers over the years, Roberto Mariani, with another Italian, Alberto Camerlengo, a further four points away in third place in the standings.
His Abu Dhabi team-mate, Emma-nellie Ortendahl, is also targeting a big finish to the season in Italy in order to climb into an overall podium place in the Ski Ladies GP1 series.
The Swede is primed for a strong challenge in Italy, and will be looking to reproduce the form which carried her to three world titles, as well as runners up spot last year.
Estonia’s Jasmiin Ypraus leads this year’s title race ater a hat-trick of moto wins in Spain, with Ortendahl currently lying sixth in the standings, but determined to sign off the season in style.
Kuwait’s Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq will need to wipe out a ten-point lead held by Denmark’s Marcus Jorgensen if he is to snatch another
Runabout GP1 title.
Spain’s defending Ski Division GP1 world champion Nacho Armillas will miss last round of the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship ater breaking his let foot in a recent training accident
Armillas sustained the injury at the end of June training ski, twisting awkwardly has he fell.
Immediately ater the accident he had some pain but he keep on racing and training when, ater a race in Poland, MRI scans revealed a Lisfranc iunjury, on the first and second metatarsal with each of them displayed by 3mm and the doctors said that a surgery was imperative.
It is a biter disappointment for the 29-yearold Spanish rider from Girona who would have been in Olbia in Italy at the end of this week to start the defence of his world title at the Regione Sardegna-grand Prix of Italy.
“It is such a shame that this has happenedsaid the world Champion- I am currently first on the Championship standing and I really would have like to confirm my world title. But I just have to recover as quickly as possible and be back as soon as I can”. With the Spaniard forced to withdraw from the Regione SardergnaGrand Prix of Italy the Ski GP1 World title is put on grabs.
All the riders are within few points of each other and the fight for the title is now open to almost all of them in what promises to be a thrilling season ending finale.