LIlian de Geus, pictured left, successfully defended her world RS:X title in Cadiz today ©Getty Images

Kiran Badloe and Lilian de Geus of The Netherlands completed successful defences of their respective men’s and women’s titles at the RS:X World Championships in Spain.

In the concluding medal round today at Cadiz, Badloe placed fourth to finish with a net total of 22 points - 24 points clear of his nearest rival.

De Geus, who missed the podium by one place at the Rio 2016 Olympics, had seen her lead trimmed from six points to three on the penultimate day.

But fourth place in her medal round was enough to earn a third consecutive world title, with a final total of 29 securing a seven-point margin of victory.

Fourth place in today's medal race at Cadiz was enough to secure defending champion Kiran Badloe of The Netherlands a second successive world gold ©Getty Images
Fourth place in today's medal race at Cadiz was enough to secure defending champion Kiran Badloe of The Netherlands a second successive world gold ©Getty Images

Italy’s Mattia Camboni, who began the last race in third place, produced a concluding victory that left him the runner-up on 46 points, with Greece’s Vyron Kokkalanis dropping down to third place after finishing eighth.

Poland’s Piotr Myszka was fourth on 60, with Yoav Cohen of Israel fifth on 61.

Victory in the women’s medal race by Britain’s two-time world youth champion and 2019 European silver medallist Emma Wilson was not quite enough to earn a place on the podium.

Wilson placed fourth on 45 points, with Israel's Katy Spychakov earning a second successive world silver ahead of France's Rio 2016 champion Charline Picon, with both finishing on 36.

The RS:X World Championships was one of the last major sailing competitions set to be held before the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, due to open on July 23.