Cypriot sailor Pavlos Kontides finished the opening day of competition at the Grand Slam of Hyeres in France in 20th place overall in the ILCA7 class on Monday, with a mixed pair of results pointing to improving form as the week progresses.

Kontides placed 18th in the first race of the day before a marked improvement in the second, crossing the finish line in fifth place to close out the day’s racing.

Three further races are scheduled for Tuesday, which will complete the qualifying series.

Under the new competition format that will be adopted at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, each athlete’s position at the end of the qualifying series will generate an additional calculated race result based on their standing, before seven races take place from Wednesday to Friday.

Two medal races follow on Saturday, at which point the points gaps between competitors will be compressed to ensure the final day remains competitive.

No sailor from first to second place will carry more than nine points between them, while those placed fifth through tenth cannot sit more than 18 points behind third place.

Two other Cypriot sailors are competing at the event.

Natasa Lappa sits 19th in the IQFOIL class after four races, while Marilena Makri is 60th in the ILCA6 after two races.

Kontides, a two-time Olympic silver medallist and former world champion in 2017 and 2018, is currently ranked third in the global ILCA7 standings.

He returned to competition at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma de Mallorca last month following a back injury, with the Hyeres event the second of five Grand Slam fixtures in the 2026 series.

Subsequent stops take in the Netherlands, Kiel and Long Beach, where he claimed bronze last year.