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Thursday, April 16: The line-ups for the 2026 UIM Aquabike World Championship are beginning to take shape, with a growing list of Official Riders confirmed for the season.

As expected, the current world champions of all four major categories - Runabout GP1, Ski GP1, Ski Ladies GP1, and Freestyle - have been confirmed as Official Riders as they embark on a battle to retain their titles for another season.

Francois Medori has three Runabout GP1 world titles to his name, but has thus far proved unable to retain the top spot in the following season. The Frenchman therefore goes into 2026 with a fresh challenge: secure back-to-back world championships for the first time in his long and illustrious career.

In Freestyle, all eyes will be on Roberto Mariani as he attempts to flip, spin and trick his way into retaining his title. The Italian won last season by a tight margin of just four points over rival Rashid Al Mulla, setting up another highly competitive year at the top of Freestyle.

Oliver Koch Hansen and Estelle Poret both claimed their first world championships in the Ski GP1 and Ski Ladies GP1 categories respectively, but will each have an extra challenge this season as new riders enter the fray to try and knock them off the top spot.

Koch Hansen will be facing off with Raphael Maurin, who makes his highly anticipated return to the sport. The Frenchman last raced at the Grand Prix of Portugal in 2019, and was runner-up in the overall Ski GP1 standings the previous year. After a break from racing, he returns for the 2026 season as an Official Rider, stating: “competition has always been part of my life—I miss it tremendously, and I'm particularly drawn to the excitement of aquabike racing”. Maurin added that his goals for the season are “to gradually work my way back up to speed and, most importantly, to enjoy myself”. 

Meanwhile the Ski Ladies GP1 ranks are expanding with the inclusion of two new Official Riders: Heloise Delcluze and Emy Garcia. Both made their world championship debuts last year: Delcluze in Olbia and Garcia in Doha. Having come third across the three Motos in Olbia, Delcluze looks set to challenge for the top from the start, adding an extra threat for Estelle Poret to contend with. 

As anticipation builds for the new season, the shape of this year’s championship is already coming together, with many Official Riders confirmed and set to be revealed progressively over the coming days.