Rollercoaster Ride

Heading into the final day of the 2025 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup things were looking pretty dreamy for Justine Lemeteyer (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), who was chasing a second world title in as many years. The 23-year-old had raced brilliantly all year and looked to be on the cusp of earning her second world crown as she won both of the the opening races in Japan to hold a substantial lead. However, what should’ve been a relatively stress-free victory parade quickly turned into the thing of which nightmares are made as Lemeteyer’s title charge began to rapidly derail in a turn of events that truly couldn’t be scripted. Ultimately, Lemeteyer survived what she describes as:  “the most intense emotional moment of my life,” to earn her second world title. After such a draining experience we managed to catch up with Justine for an interview to hear all about that last day, plus her main takeaways from 2025, which sees her discuss the importance of mental health and that she’s raring to go again having considered retiring earlier in the year. 

Hey Justine, now you’ve had a bit of time to reflect how does it feel to have successfully defended your world title?

"Hello! It took me over a month to realise that I had that second world title in the pocket. I now feel proud to have done it twice in a row, and with two different teams. It was a big challenge to switch to PATRIK and try to do it all over again, but I’m very happy that I could give PATRIK their first world title!"

You don’t like doing things the easy way do you… heading into the final day in Japan you held a healthy lead, and given how consistent you had been all season it looked kind of like you had things wrapped up… Can you try and talk us through the emotions on that final day? After finishing third in Elimination 3, which was a totally fine result, things really turned into a rollercoaster ride… what exactly happened with you thinking you had been disqualified from Elimination 4 Winners’ Final, which turned out not to be the case?

"I had a hard time sleeping the night before, just like in previous years. But I woke up confident and excited for the day. I made a mistake in the first race of the day, but overall I was still feeling good mentally.

The chaos started when I misunderstood the committee boat. I had what I thought was a perfect start on my watch, but they called us over early. I knew I was the first one on the line, so I went back towards the starting boat, and the committee made a cross with their arms, which I interpreted as “you’re out.” I went back ashore and was then told that I was actually not over early. I went back out, but it was too late. My mistake was not waiting for a clear, official signal that I was disqualified.

"I also think this situation raises questions about how over-earlies are handled. I spoke with the committee later in the day, and on the video my start was perfect. We train all year long to nail perfect starts, and when you finally make one at a crucial moment of the season, it gets cancelled. Maybe the committee could call over-earlies later in the race, after video review, to ensure fair racing for everyone. That result then really changed the dynamic of the world title race - you were still in control, but now things weren’t clearcut - what was going through your head heading into the fifth and final elimination? I was angry when I came back ashore. That situation, at such a key moment in the title race, was very hard to digest. I had brought my dad with me to Japan to help with logistics and stress, and he really helped me reset mentally, because we still had one last race to do. We managed to refocus, and I went back out very determined and hungry to finish on a high."

Obviously the wind was absolutely cranking in the last elimination - was that the main reason for your fall at the third buoy?

"I went out with the small kit, which I was the right choice. The semi-final was going really smooth as had a healthy lead without pushing to the max. Getting closer to the third mark, I saw a big gust coming down. I saw it coming and still the gust just lifted me up, I managed to get it back together but then it went up again and threw me downwind of the buoy. I tried to get back on the board but I first had to do upwind reaches to make it around the mark – I was done…"

What happened next was one of the hardest sporting moments to watch ever I think as you went from being almost guaranteed becoming world champion at the start of the day, to now being forced to abandon the last race in the semifinals… what was going through your head at that point as the title race was then completely out of your control… Did you watch the last Winners’ Final or you couldn’t bare to watch?

"After my crash I didn’t have any emotion for a moment. I was in complete disbelief of what just happened… I came back ashore, talked a bit with my dad and then started to think that it was done - that I had lost it. It was a hard moment as I couldn’t make sense of the day. I watched the final, but I had no idea of the points. I knew I was third for this event and I was not aware that Blanca [Alabau] could win the event in the last race. So, I did watch it while derigging, but I had no idea that this race would decide the outcome of the world title…"

Could you believe it when the media came over to tell you that you had actually still won? What were those emotions like?

"Rafa came over with a camera while Mae Davico was by my side trying to get a smile back on my face. Rafa had told me that I could still win it, but I didn’t believe him. Mae saw the PWA crew coming towards our tent and told me it might be happening. At that moment, I was completely overwhelmed by my emotions. I froze until Katrine [PWA Event Manager] told me that I had won. I had to ask for confirmation before I finally broke down in tears—out of relief, after such an emotional rollercoaster. It was the most intense emotional moment of my life."

Do you think that having such a big lead heading into the final day may have made you a bit too relaxed?

"It might have played a role. I’m still not completely sure what led to this scenario. I wasn’t relaxed the night before—I barely slept. I focused on sticking to all my routines in the morning to keep the pressure on. But it’s now two years in a row that I’ve made mistakes on the final day of the world title race, so that’s something I’m working on with my mental coach. It’s an incredibly intense moment, and not an easy one to manage. I still need to find the right tools to handle it properly until the very end."

After an absolute rollercoaster of a day - how did you celebrate?

"It was actually the year I celebrated the least since I started on tour. I felt more angry at myself than proud of the title. We attended the official ceremony, then went back to the hotel early to pack our suitcases, as we were leaving the next morning. I did celebrate later at home with my neighbours, friends, partners, and family—but it still took me over a month to truly realise that I had secured that second title."

Overall 2025 was another great year for you  with one world title and a vice-world champion in Slalom X – what did you learn from 2025 and what are your main takeaways? 

"2025 was a good season in terms of results. I was really excited to start a new partnership with PATRIK, and I’m proud that I could give them those titles in our very first year together. I’m happy to continue working with this amazing team next season.

The biggest lesson of this year was about my mental health. This summer, I went through a complete burnout from training and competing. I worked extremely hard over the past few years to reach this level, but along the way I forgot to take time for myself. For two months, I couldn’t train the way I usually do—both my body and my mind were exhausted. In August, I was even considering stopping my career after Japan. I took time away from my board to find my motivation again, and now I’m hungry for 2026. But I also had to change some aspects of my project to make sure I protect both my body and my mind in the coming seasons. That’s the biggest lesson of my career so far."

There’s quite a bit of time before the next World Tour event - what will you be up to between now and then?

"First, I took proper rest with no physical activity at all. Then I went training in the mountains, discovered new activities, and from February onwards I’ll be back to a proper training rhythm in Hyères. The main goal is to enjoy training while building a solid base for 2026."

Thanks, Justine. Congrats once again on your second world title.