Valentin Bontus put in a supreme performance in the first ever instalment of the Men’s Kite at the Olympics to take gold. The Austrian rider dealt with delays, after action was cancelled yesterday due to time limitations, and kept his cool to put on a show in his iconic white suit.
© World Sailing: Valentin Bontus flying high
Both Bontus and Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi had to navigate the Semi-Finals after finishing third and fourth in the Opening Series, but quickly qualified to join Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek and Singapore’s Max Maeder in the Final. Vodisek only needed one win to strike gold, but it was Bontus who took the first bullet, continuing his red-hot form from the Semi-Finals and he looked set to surge until racing was postponed.
© World Sailing: Toni Vodisek started with an advantage but didn't manage to win the one race he needed
The wait did little to deter Bontus, as he returned to the water on Friday outduelleds second race in the Final, after choosing a different line from the other riders early in the race.
Bontus pumped his arms in celebration as he crossed the line and then refocused for the all-important next race. While Vodisek crashed and Maeder struggled for pace, Bontus powered on and outduelled Pianosi to cross the line first and wrap up Austria's second sailing gold of Paris 2024.
© World Sailing: Pianosi initially lead Bontus in the second final race
Vodisek took home the silver, while Maeder clinched the bronze, winning Singapore’s first ever Olympic sailing medal – their six Olympic medal of all time – on Singapore’s National Day.
Bontus said: “I stayed calm, did the same thing I did in the Semi-Final and managed to pull it off three times in a row. I’m stoked to have shared the race course with these three legends and walking off with the gold medal is quite insane.
“I felt good over the last two days, felt strong and knew my speed was there. I just had to get off the start line and keep my speed and I did that. I had some songs in my head that came and went in waves and I tried to stay calm with those. “I’d love to take it all in and drink a few beers. My dad has done this sport since the beginning and it’s been a long journey since then. It’s been two and a half years since I began doing it professionally and now, with the Austrian team behind me, it’s accelerated quite quickly. It’s insane to be standing here, calling myself Olympic champion.”
© World Sailing: Max Maeder wins the first sailing medal for Singapore on the country's national day
Vodisek said: “The nerves were getting to me. Everything was just a little bit heavy on the shoulders and it stopped me from performing at 100%. “Everything was still open right until the very last moment and for that hats off to Mr Valentin Bontus. He did really amazing, I’m very proud of him and I can’t wait for him to come back to LA 2028 so I can beat him.”
Maeder said: “Hats off to Valentin, a monster performance in the Final and hats off to Toni, that was a phenomenal Opening Series where he came out in the lead. And congratulations to Riccardo because he had the best two days in a row in Olympic history. “I’m overwhelmed by the support, it’s absolutely phenomenal and Happy Birthday Singapore. This medal is for you, it’s a monumental day for Singapore.”
© World Sailing: Any of the four in the final could have won gold today
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. The top two at the end of this Opening Series 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 pick up three race wins, with the higher ranked 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 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.
