Cyprus’ best-ever result in the Elite class of the MotoSurf World Championship — Mike climbs to 6th overall with 86 points
18-year-old Limassol rider Mike Michaelides (#22) delivered the best result of his career in the sport’s top class, finishing 4th in the Elite Men final at the Huskywear Grand Prix Sweden — round 3 of the UIM MotoSurf World Championship — held on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in Stockholm.
It’s the best result ever by a Cypriot rider in Elite, the class the championship itself calls “the Formula 1 of MotoSurf,” and it comes in just Mike’s third race in the category, a year after his world title in Stock R Rookie.
A Race with a Historic Backdrop
The event took place on the waters of Djurgårdsbrunn in the heart of Stockholm — the same waters that hosted swimming, diving, rowing, and water polo at the 1912 Olympic Games. MotoSurf became the first sporting event to return there in 114 years, with 15 countries on the start line. During the traditional flag parade, Mike Michaelides carried the flag for the Republic of Cyprus.
Heat 4: Battling World Champions
In the final qualifying heat of the weekend, Mike got off to a strong start, moved up to 3rd place at the midpoint of the race, and held off two-time world champion Matyáš Novotný for several laps as the Czech rider attempted a late comeback after completing his three mandatory long laps early. Mike crossed the line 4th, ahead of six-time Elite world champion Lukáš Záhorský.
Heat 4 Results — Elite Men
| Position | Rider | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Ficek | CZE |
| 2 | Matyáš Novotný | CZE |
| 3 | Alex Lukscheider | CZE |
| 4 | Mike Michaelides | CYP |
| 5 | Lukáš Záhorský | CZE |
| 6 | Jan Trávníček | CZE |
| 7 | Antony Squire | USA |
| 8 | Jiří Renner | CZE |
| 9 | Jiří Wolf | CZE |
| 10 | Miroslav Kopš | CZE |
The Final: 10 Laps, 3 Long Laps, a Historic Top 4
Starting 6th on the grid, Mike made a clean start, immediately gained a position on American world champion Antony Squire, and calmly managed his three mandatory long laps over the 10-lap final. As the race ahead of him was hit by crashes and a retirement, Mike stayed upright and consistent, finishing 4th — right behind six-time Elite world champion Lukáš Záhorský. The international broadcast called it the Cypriot rider’s best result to date at the finish.
Elite Men Final — Huskywear Grand Prix Sweden
| Position | Rider | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matyáš Novotný | CZE |
| 2 | Alex Lukscheider | CZE |
| 3 | Lukáš Záhorský | CZE |
| 4 | Mike Michaelides | CYP |
| 5 | Antony Squire | USA |
| 6 | Jan Trávníček | CZE |
| 7 | Jiří Renner | CZE |
| 8 | Miroslav Kopš | CZE |
| 9 | Jiří Wolf | CZE |
| — | Adam Ficek (DNF) | CZE |
Standings: 6th in the World, 2nd-Best Outside the Czech Squad
With the Stockholm result, Mike moves to 86 points and remains 6th in the Elite Men world standings — the second-best rider outside the dominant Czech contingent, behind only American Antony Squire, whom he overtook in the Sweden final.
Elite Men World Standings 2026 (after Round 3)
| Position | Rider | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matyáš Novotný (#1) | CZE | 216 |
| 2 | Lukáš Záhorský (#36) | CZE | 159 |
| 3 | Alex Lukscheider (#10) | CZE | 148 |
| 4 | Adam Ficek (#45) | CZE | 104 |
| 5 | Antony Squire (#69) | USA | 94 |
| 6 | Mike Michaelides (#22) | CYP | 86 |
| 7 | Jan Trávníček (#211) | CZE | 67 |
| 8 | Miroslav Kopš (#47) | CZE | 65 |
2026 Season So Far
| Round | Grand Prix | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GP Türkiye (Çeşme) | Elite debut — 32 points |
| 2 | GP Prague (Czechia) | 6th overall — 21 points |
| 3 | GP Sweden (Stockholm) | 4th in the final |
In His Own Words
Mike said the team is working on engine upgrades to close the technical gap with the Czech riders, who he credits with leading the way on know-how and experience in the class. He said the team has already brought specialist engineers on board — with solutions potentially arriving as soon as Spain or shortly after in China — to reach the horsepower level Elite demands. The goal, he said, is to stay consistently near the front and in podium contention.
What’s Next
The MotoSurf World Championship continues with the Visit Marbella Grand Prix Spain on September 13, 2026, followed by the Fujairah GP in the UAE (October 16–18) and a double finale in China — Jinhua (November 20–22) and Shenzhen (November 27–29).
Source: Action In Sports Cyprus (actioninsports.com), by Paris J Andreou
