Paris 2024: Toni Vodisek Reclaimed the Lead in the Men’s Kite, while Lauriane Nolot Surged back up the Standings in the Women
Wed 7th Aug, 2024 @ 9:35 am
Another day of light wind meant the women were only on the water long enough to race once, but the men completed two races, which was enough to reshuffle the standings. Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek made the most of his outing, winning race six, which edged him in front of Singapore’s Max Maeder.
Despite finishing fourth in race seven, Maeder was unable to hold onto the top spot, after also placing 11th in the opening race of the day. Austria’s Valentin Bontus remained third overall, with a 20th-placed finish in race seven anchoring his performance.
France’s Lauriane Nolot made the most of the day, winning the first and only race to move into the lead.
Some of the women couldn’t keep their kites flying and were unable to start the race. Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler dropped out of the top three altogether following the DNS score. Great Britain’s Ellie Aldridge also received a DNS but held on to second overall. USA’s Daniela Moroz finished seventh, which was not enough to overtake the British athlete.
Vodisek said: “My girlfriend’s coming soon, so that will make everything easier. It’s a bit unfortunate she couldn’t be here before, as she brings the best out of me. There’s going to be another level when she turns up, and there’ll be an end to the video games. Everybody’s putting their best out there, but it’s really fun, and I have to say, I’m really enjoying being on the biggest stage in the world”.
Maeder said, “There was an incident, so I had to take a penalty turn, and from then on, it was perhaps not the best race, but it was a thrilling one nonetheless, and it’s good that I didn’t get disqualified. It’s a privilege to be here. Sometimes, the weather doesn’t play well; it’s part of the sport. I think we’re all used to it. Of course, we’d love to go racing.”
Nolot said, “I think I was super focused, and even before we started, I saw the wind was dying on one side. I had a good start, but it was windy where I went. I think it’s the light wind Olympic Games. Every race matters, so I’m super focused on every race.”
Moroz said: “It was very light wind, very tricky survival conditions again. I was happy to make it around and not swim. I had a really good plan in my head and I executed it, but it didn’t end up being the right plan for that race. Off the start I got pinned out going left.”
How it Works
Opening Series:
- On the first four days of the competition, riders compete in up to 16 races, with the objective to earn as high a ranking as possible. At the end of this Opening Series, the top two qualify automatically for the Grand Final, while those ranked 3rd to 10th go into the Semi-Finals.
Semi-Finals:
- Those 8 remaining riders are split into two equal-strength semi-finals. The goal is to win three races, with the higher-ranked rider in each semi-final carrying over two race wins, while the second in each semi-final carries over one race win. One rider from each semi-final qualifies to make up a final four in the Grand Final.
Grand Final:
- The leader from the opening series starts with two race wins, and the second-ranked has one. The goal is to secure three race wins, with the competition ending as soon as someone achieves this. That means that the Grand Final can last from a single race to as many as six.
Follow the broadcasters, tracking & results!
Credits: International Kiteboarding Association
Text credits: World Sailing
Wed 7th Aug, 2024 @ 9:35 am
