FIRST POZO FINAL FOR LIAM

Liam Dunkerbeck impressively makes his way into the final

After finishing fifth at last year's Pozo World Cup on his home waters, Liam Dunkerbeck returned with one clear goal: to take the next step and reach the final. It was never going to be an easy task, making this achievement all the more impressive.

His standout moment came in the semi-final, where he claimed victory ahead of both Philip Köster and Marcilio Browne—a result few would have predicted. It was a performance Liam can be incredibly proud of.

By the time the final got underway, however, the wind had eased and the waves had dropped, making it difficult to find the same rhythm. Liam ultimately finished just shy of the podium, a result that will undoubtedly leave him with mixed feelings. Even so, it does nothing to take away from the outstanding level he displayed throughout the day and his milestone first appearance in a Pozo final.

Maria Behrens takes the lead in the World Title race

Maria Behrens secured her best-ever result at the Pozo World Cup with an impressive fifth-place finish, a performance that sees her move to the top of the World Title standings. After putting extra focus on her progression by working with coaches this season, that hard work is clearly paying off. With plenty of events still to come, it will be exciting to see how the rest of the title race unfolds.

On the other side of the draw, Lisa Wermeister was left wondering what might have been. She produced a superb 13.15-point total in her quarter-final—a score that would have been enough to qualify from any of the other quarter-finals—but unfortunately not her own. That's competition sometimes, but there are plenty of positives to take away, and we're sure she'll head to Tenerife in a couple of weeks with plenty of confidence.