Sad News Kiteboarding legend Valentin Bontus have just been announced dead this morning in a river due to terrible crashed with…..

 

Yahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports

Search query

Sign in

NBA

Scores/Schedules

News

Standings

Stats

Teams

Players

Injuries

Odds

Fantasy Basketball

The Kevin O’Connor Show

Good Word with Goodwill

In-Season Tournament

All-Star Game

Playoffs

Draft

Summer League

 

Register & Receive NGN500,000 Immediately

Ad

MSport

Pride lose first game of season

Dodgers shut out Padres, reach NLCS

NFL Week 6 injury tracker

MLB reschedules ALDS Game 5

Duke lands legacy recruits

Associated Press

Austria’s Valentin Bontus wins gold in men’s kitesurfing to conclude Olympic sailing in Marseille

giovanna dell’orto

Fri, Aug 9, 2024·3 min read

 

Valentin Bontus of Austria celebrates after the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Valentin Bontus of Austria celebrates after the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Valentin Bontus of Austria competes in the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Valentin Bontus of Austria celebrates after the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Valentin Bontus of Austria looks on after finishing the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Valentin Bontus of Austria competes in the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Valentin Bontus of Austria dances during a delay before the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

1 / 7

Paris Olympics Sailing

Valentin Bontus of Austria celebrates after the men’s kite semifinal race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)ASSOCIATED PRESSMore

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Valentin Bontus of Austria took gold after winning two finals races Friday in men’s kitesurfing, the new, fastest sport at the Summer Olympics, whose medals bring to a close sailing competitions in Marseille.

 

Toni Vodisek of Slovenia got silver while 17-year-old Max Maeder of Singapore won bronze — his country’s first medal in sailing — in finals that had been repeatedly postponed because the breeze was too light.

 

Vodisek, Maeder, Bontus and Riccardo Pianosi of Italy all entered the finals races originally scheduled for Thursday.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

“I am extremely stoked I’m sharing the racecourse with these three legends,” Bontus said.

 

When asked how he managed to beat Maeder, who entered the Games ranked first in the world, as well as Vodisek, who dominated the regattas in Marseille, Bontus grinned widely and responded: “I really don’t know.”

 

In kitesurfing finals, the gold goes to whomever scoops up three wins first — Vodisek, ranked first, only needed one win, but Bontus won the first final race late Thursday afternoon. Since no race can start later than 5:37 p.m., the next competition was pushed back to Friday.

 

During the first final race on Friday afternoon, Bontus kept an early lead and sped through the finish line, setting himself up to starting the next final race with two wins like Vodisek. He then sped through the last race for the medal.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Vodisek said stress and nerves got to him Friday, but he was looking ahead to a rematch in Los Angeles in four years — as was Maeder.

 

“I’m putting a smile on now. Not because I have to, but because of the way I feel,” Maeder said. “I hope everyone back at home is happy. I’m overwhelmed by the support. It’s absolutely phenomenal.”

 

A few dozen cheering fans lined the beach under the hot sun on this extra day of the sailing competitions. The kiters said they were excited for the new fans worldwide the sport they love is creating with its Olympic debut.

 

“I heard from friends, ‘Wow, I actually watched this,’” Vodisek said. “It’s a massive step.”

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Kitesurfing has a more complicated scoring system than other sailing classes. The races are much shorter, too — less than 10 minutes usually, foiling at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph) — eclipsing even the sprints of track cyclists — while harnessed to kites as large as 23 square meters.

 

The first kitesurfing Olympic gold medal ever was awarded to Ellie Aldridge of Britain on Thursday.

 

Fickle winds and high temperatures in Marseille have wreaked havoc with the program and tested athletes’ endurance ever

since the regattas for the first of the 10 sailing events started on July 28.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*