UIM ABP Aquabike Offshore Grand Prix of Qatar: Ski GP 1 Highlights
UIM ABP Aquabike Offshore Grand Prix of Qatar: Ski GP 1 Highlights
Aquabike Old Doha Port Grand Prix of Qatar - Ski GP1 & Ski Ladies GP1 | Highlights
Doha's Old Port returned to the Aquabike calendar in style, hosting the season-deciding Grand Prix on a tight, technical course that punished mistakes and rewarded nerve. Three days of head-to-head sprints, rolling swells inside the harbor, and wall-to-wall crowd energy produced a finale worthy of world titles.
In Ski GP1, Belgian ace Quinten Bossche opened with a statement, holeshotting Moto 1 and controlling it to the flag ahead of points leader Oliver Koch-Hansen and rival Jérémy Poret, while Kevin Reiterer surged late to P4 and Toshi O'Hara rounded out the top five. Moto 2 flipped the script: an early issue dropped Bossche out of contention as Reiterer seized the lead in the splits and never looked back, with O'Hara second and Koch-Hansen third after a composed, title-minded ride through increasingly choppy water. That set up a dramatic Moto 3. O'Hara launched fast, but the race turned into a Bossche charge from deep in the pack-past Poret, O'Hara, Dardillat, then Koch-Hansen, and finally a clean inside move on Reiterer to win the moto in breathtaking fashion. The GP overall went to Kevin Reiterer (65 pts), with Koch-Hansen (62) second; O'Hara and Poret tied on 53 and Bossche closed with 50.
Most importantly, the arithmetic crowned Denmark's Oliver Koch-Hansen the 2025 UIM ABP Aquabike World Champion (Ski GP1) on 190 points, ahead of Jérémy Poret (170) and Toshi O'Hara (148)-the reward for a season of pace, control, and smart risk management he underlined in Doha.
The Ski Ladies GP1 title fight was every bit as tense. Moto 1 saw championship leader Estelle Poret convert pole into victory after rival Benedicte Dragne retired from the lead with a sudden loss of power; Naomi Benini held off Jasmiin Ypraus for second in a tight exit from the parallel. Moto 2 belonged to Dragne-an electrifying last-to-first charge in two laps past Jessica Chavanne, Poret, and Varner to take a commanding win, with Poret second and Ypraus third. Under lights and pressure, Moto 3 swung again: an early Chavanne lead dissolved in the chop, Dragne pounced and drove it home for the race win, Ypraus took second, and Poret banked third-the exact finish she needed. Estelle Poret claimed the Grand Prix of Qatar overall and, with it, her first World Championship: Poret 196 pts, Ypraus 183, Dragne 172.
Doha also delivered a crowd-pleasing Parallel Slalom: Dragne captured the Ski Ladies GP1 crown over Ypraus, while Bossche topped O'Hara to take the Ski GP1 Men's title after tight semi-finals and a photo-finish bronze run.
From Bossche's come-from-behind masterpiece to Reiterer's GP triumph, and from Dragne's fury to Poret's poise under fire, Qatar provided a fitting stage for champions. The Old Port is back-and the 2025 season closed with the throttle wide open.