Ellecia Saffron claims UAE’s first-ever surf-ski world championship title in Madeira.
UAE-based athlete Ellecia Saffron secured the nation’s first gold medal at the ICF Ocean Racing World Championship in Madeira. Competing in the masters category, Saffron became the UAE’s first-ever surf-ski single world champion.
Saffron completed the challenging 21-kilometre race in 2 hours and 11 minutes, finishing more than 10 minutes ahead of her closest competitor in the 40-44 age group. Originally from Australia, Saffron has been a resident of the UAE for 17 years and only learned of her gold medal win after completing the race.
The event also saw success for Tiago Oliveira and Aleks Zigalovs, who took first place in the doubles category, marking another victory for the UAE team. Saffron also competed in the doubles competition, placing 10th alongside Dubai-based paddler Bence Bartfai, a 16-year-old competing in the Under-18 section.
Despite being relatively new to international competitions, the UAE team continues to make strides in the sport. The team self-funds its participation, including covering entry fees, travel costs, uniforms, and equipment. For the Madeira event, individual costs ranged between AED 10,000 and AED 15,000, which included expenses such as boat hire and printing UAE stickers.
The team trains at Paddlers Hub UAE in Dubai, which hopes this recent success will further promote non-motorized water sports in the UAE and develop future Olympians. With abundant water resources and increasing participation, the country sees potential for Olympic representation at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.