Alex Ploner Claims Fourth European Hang Gliding Championship Title in Italy
Italy’s Alex Ploner has once again proven his dominance in hang gliding, claiming gold at the FAI European Hang Gliding Championships in Gemona, Italy — for the fourth time in his career.
Flying an Icaro 2000 Laminar, Ploner’s victory adds another chapter to an already legendary competition record that spans over a decade. His first European title came in Turkey in 2012, followed by wins in North Macedonia (2018) and Italy (2022). This latest triumph on home soil solidifies his status as one of the greatest hang gliding competitors of all time.
Italian Domination
The podium had a distinctly Italian flavor. Ploner’s teammate and long-time rival Christian Ciech — also flying an Icaro 2000 Laminar — claimed silver, repeating the exact same 1-2 finish from the 2022 European Championships. These two Italian friends and competitors have dominated the sport at both European and World level for more than a decade.
Germany’s Primoz Gricar (Aeros Combat GT) rounded out the podium in bronze position.
In the team competition, Italy secured their sixth consecutive European team gold medal, with Germany and Austria completing the podium. For fans of free flight sports, Italy’s sustained dominance is truly remarkable.
Competition Details
The two-week event produced seven valid tasks with distances of 82, 93, 85, 118, 140, 89 and 120km. A total of 58 pilots from 14 countries competed. Task 6 was started but stopped early and did not score.
Austria’s Sasha Serebrennikova, the current Women’s Hang Gliding World Champion, was the only woman competing. With just a single female entry, no valid women’s class could be scored — a reminder of the ongoing challenges in growing women’s participation in hang gliding competition.
Rigid Worlds 2026
The Class 1 competition ran concurrently with the 11th FAI World Hang Gliding Class 5 (Rigid) Championships. This combined format has become standard in recent years, making logistics more manageable and keeping top-level competition financially viable.
The rigid competition was dominated by a German father-and-son duo: Markus Baisch (AIR Atos Vrs) took gold while his father Karl Baisch (AIR Atos Vr) claimed bronze. Austria’s Andreas Sand (AIR Atos Vr) split the family on the podium with silver.
Germany won the nations category, with Austria and Japan taking silver and bronze. Some 32 pilots participated in the rigid class across seven tasks (90, 97, 85, 130, 171, 98 and 120km).
Whether you’re into hang gliding or paragliding adventures, watching the world’s best compete is always inspiring. Full results are available on the CIVL Comps website.
Source: Cross Country Magazine