Ellie Aldridge Wins Historic Olympic Gold in Kite Sailing

Ellie Aldridge expressed disbelief and overwhelming joy after winning gold in the women’s kite sailing final at Paris 2024, becoming the first-ever Olympic kite champion. The 27-year-old secured her victory by winning two races in the final series on Thursday, thereby marking Team GB’s 13th gold medal of the Games. Reflecting on her achievement, Aldridge described the experience as surreal and admitted she felt relieved to no longer need to “put on weight” to compete, since the event demands a heavier body mass for better performance.

Aldridge explained that using the same equipment as the men, who typically weigh around 100 kilos, has made weight gain a significant challenge in the sport. She noted that heavier competitors can control larger kites which leads to faster speeds. Consequently, this aspect of preparation posed the most difficult part of her journey and she’s looking forward to returning to a more normal diet. Looking ahead, Aldridge hopes that future competitions will introduce different-sized kites to create a more level playing field.

In the final series, Aldridge carried over one victory from the opening series and convincingly won the first race of the final. Furthermore, she capitalized on a mistake by France’s Lauriane Nolot, who fell into the water, to secure her second race win and the gold medal. Nolot subsequently took silver after automatically winning two races from the opening series while Annelous Lammerts of the Netherlands claimed bronze based on her overall points.

Ellie Aldridge, who hails from Dorset earned back-to-back World Championship silver medals and won her first major title at the European Championships in Portsmouth. Despite challenging conditions at Paris 2024 with many races canceled due to low winds, she dominated the final and claimed her historic victory.