Dubai: A handful of world champions lived up to expectations with outright wins as the 2019 UAE Aquabike Championship got under way at the Mercato Beach in Jumeirah over the weekend.

Dominating the field of more than 70 from at least 10 countries including the UAE, were riders from the Dubai-based Victory Team led by newly-crowned world champion Kevin Reiterer of Austria alongside 10-year-olds Suhail Rashid Al Tayer and Hamdan Saeed Al Harbi, both drivers from the newly-launched Victory Team Marine Sports Academy.

Reiterer, who took his Third World crown in Sharjah at the end of 2018, was undisputed winner in the Ski Division GP1 category ahead of former ten-time world champion Stephen Dauliach from France. Salman Younus Abdul Wahid Al Awadhi of the UAE followed in third place.

Another world champion who continued with his fine form following his exploits in Sharjah in the middle of December was Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Saleh Al Mulla, who went on to finish on top in the Freestyle category ahead of the UAE’s Abdul Jaleel Ali Al Awadh and Morocco’s Yassine Fadli.

In the Ski Junior GP3 3.2 class, the top two positions were achieved by Suhail Rashid Al Tayer and Hamdan Saeed Jaber Al Harbi — both of whom have been recently absorbed as the first students at the new Victory Team Marine Sports Academy. Faris Ebrahim Ramadan from Kuwait followed in third.

Former Victory Team Class One driver Ali Nasser Belhabala who is now vice-chairman of Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) was joined by Mohammad Abdullah Al Shamsi, director of Administration and Corporate Support, DIMC and Hezaim Al Qamzi, director of the DIMC Sports Department at the presentation of trophies at the end.

Hosted by the DIMC, the second round of the championship will be held on February 9 followed by the third round on March 2 at the same venue.