On Future Olympic Waters, A1R Project Podium Athletes Make Their Mark
The Olympic Classes Regatta (OCR) offered the first major international test of the LA 2028 iQFOiL and Formula Kite venue…and an early indication that America One Racing athletes are closing in on the world’s best.
A deep international field came to Long Beach expecting its characteristic summer breeze. Instead, competitors encountered a wider range of conditions, including unusually light wind on the final day. The series tested adaptability as much as speed, while Alamitos Bay Yacht Club showed once again to be an exceptional host and a true sailors’ club.
For A1R Project Podium athletes, this was a peak event and targeted performance milestone. Supported by a deliberate buildup, individualized planning and the resources needed to arrive ready, the team showed why preparation is key.
Formula Kite A1R athlete Noah Runciman (photo above) reached an impressive fourth-place finish through remarkable consistency. A string of Top Ten races carried him into the quarterfinals, where confident starts, disciplined lane management and smart risk-taking propelled him through two elimination rounds and into only the second major final of his career.
There, Runciman faced World Champions and Olympic medal contenders Max Maeder, Riccardo Pianosi and Qibin Huang. He executed his opening leg well enough to move into bronze-medal position – until an unfortunate encounter with kelp caused a race-ending crash. It was a difficult conclusion to an outstanding series, but the larger message was unmistakable: Runciman’s rapid ascent is drawing attention throughout the international fleet.
The A1R men’s iQFOiL team continues its ascent through a deep international field. Despite a rocky start to the series, 2024 Olympian Noah Lyons delivered a strong, composed second half to qualify fourth for the semifinals. His excellent start was disrupted when another competitor fouled him, and multiple collisions followed on the tight, short slalom course. When the dust settled, Lyons had advanced to the four-board final.
Waiting for him were the well-rested top qualifiers from Australia and China; and a race that would demand maximum physical effort from start to finish. Lyons chose an aggressive low position off the reaching start and timed it to perfection. With only about five feet of clear wind separating him from the best iQFOiL athletes in the world, he expended enormous energy to protect his position.
At the first mark, Lyons continued straight alongside Australian Olympic medalist Grae Morris, while the other two athletes jibed early and found a pocket of stronger wind that allowed them to move ahead. China’s Kun Bi then executed two precise jibes to remain in front and win gold.
That is the unforgiving nature of iQFOiL medal racing: four athletes traveling at more than 25 knots, racing nearly board-to-board, with the final order changing in roughly 10 seconds of full-intensity competition.
Lyons’ fourth-place finish follows his silver medal in Palma this spring and reinforces his standing as a legitimate medal threat for LA 2028. Teammate 18-year-old Makani Andrews also continued to demonstrate that he can compete with the world’s best at the senior level, earning a strong 13th-place finish overall.
Dominique Stater endured a challenging opening to the women’s iQFOiL series before finding better speed and several Top Ten finishes in the second half. Her 18th-place result reflected an inconsistent week, but also the persistence to reset and move forward against the world’s best.
Two fourth-place finishes do not tell the entire story. Lyons and Runciman each entered a world-class final with a genuine opportunity to medal. Andrews demonstrated the ability to truly compete deep within an elite senior fleet. Stater found a way forward when the opening days went against her.
On the waters where Olympic medals will be decided in 2028, Project Podium athletes showed that they are no longer simply chasing the international field. They are becoming part of the battle at the front.
