The Rice Report: Bold decision wins Gold for Brits in Womens Kite
by Andy Rice, World Sailing 9 Aug 2024 07:58 PDT
6 August 2024
Ellie Aldridge (GBR) wins Women's Kite gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics © World Sailing / Sander van der Borch
Kiteboarding is all about making vital decisions under high pressure. Ellie Aldridge made some bold decisions in the final of the Women's Kiteboarding to get ahead of arch rival Lauriane Nolot, the multiple World Champion from France.
With the wind in short supply all week in Marseille, going for the biggest kite in their quiver - the 21 square metre - seemed like the obvious move. That's what Nolot chose, but Aldridge had plumped for the next size down, the 15 square metre.
Aldridge made a fast start to the first heat and looked fast on the upwind leg. This is where Nolot usually excels but this time there wasn't much in it. The heavier rider, Nolot was making her 21 square metre work for her, but Aldridge had the edge. She'd need it, because when they turned downwind for the high-speed run towards the bottom of the two-lap course, this is where you want to maximise your power.
Nolot was going faster on the downwind leg, sometimes up to 33 knots in just 10 knots of wind, and she was closing down on Aldridge's lead. The British rider just managed to hold off Nolot before the leeward mark rounding, and from there succeeded in defending all the way to the finish.
Now the Briton had drawn level on points with the French. Unless Daniela Moroz (USA) or Annelous Lammerts (NED) could take the next race away from the frontrunners, it was all down to who would score the next win. France or Great Britain?
Again Aldridge made a great start but Nolot was again looking quick. However towards the windward mark Nolot had a brief tumble that put her at the back of the four-rider fleet. She recovered quickly, but never enough to make up the lost ground, while Aldridge put her foot down and swept to a straightforward victory to secure Britain's first and only sailing gold medal at Paris 2024.
Aldridge launched herself high into the sky, the usually calm and controlled athlete letting rip as all the emotion poured out.
"I feel completely overwhelmed that I almost don't feel anything, because I can't believe what happened," she beamed after stepping ashore. "We knew Marseille was going to be a tricky venue, but you've got to learn how to deal with it and how to adapt and how to be consistent when the conditions aren't good and excel when it really matters. It all came down to today and I'm really happy that I managed to hold it all together and win two races."
She knew she would have to throw everything at beating Nolot and her tactical gamble had paid off. "I was on a different kite size to everyone else. I was on the smaller kite which is the 15 metre. In these conditions I went out with the 21 to begin with and then changed my mind. When I'm overpowered, especially on the shorter course, I prefer a shorter kite because you're more manoeuvrable. I knew the bigger kite was going to be faster downwind and the smaller kite was going to be faster upwind.
"As soon as I went round the leeward mark I knew that this was the time that I had to make the overtaking move and managed to stay a bit higher and faster, and had enough of a gap behind me that when we went downwind I stayed in front."
Aldridge claimed she didn't feel the pressure of the occasion. After such a disappointing regatta of near misses for her British teammates, she had executed flawlessly. "There are quite a few people that could have won gold in the team and they just didn't have the right week. They were a bit unfortunate with the circumstances. The team are incredible, supporting the other athletes. They're amazing athletes and I feel really happy to have got a gold. I hope it brightens people's spirits after the week we've had."
Coached by former 49er World Champion and double Olympian Stevie Morrison, Aldridge had made good leaps forward with her speed and all-round performance in the months building up to Marseille. Over the past few seasons Aldridge has been one of the most consistent athletes to reach the podium. But she has always finished second best at the World Championships, first to Daniela Moroz (USA), the six time World Champion and more recently to Lauriane Nolot who has won the past two world titles.
Despite never yet winning the world title, Aldridge has achieved the ultimate prize, the top of the podium on the world's biggest stage. "My goal was to medal and I knew that if I had the right week I could win. Everything was going to have to align." The stars did align, and a star is born.
[Andy Rice, in conjunction with top coach Olympic and America's Cup coach Hamish Willcox, run the outstanding Road to Gold series where top sailors and coaches share their experiences]
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