Ellie Aldridge (below) and Lily Young took silver and bronze respectively
in the women’s kite, which will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.
The stellar results helped Britain to finish the regatta as the only
nation to win five medals at the 10-day regatta in Dutch city of The
Hague.
Silvers also went to Micky Beckett in the men’s dinghy and John Gimson and
Anna Burnet in the mixed multihull, and a bronze for Emma Wilson in the
women’s windsurfing.
Aldridge is no stranger to the podium, having won silver at the Paris 2024
test event last month, but it was a breakthrough result for Young.
“I’ve worked so hard this year for this result, but I still can’t quite
believe I’ve got a medal,” said Young, 24, from Weymouth, Dorset. “I knew
I could do it, but to actually win a bronze is amazing. I’m so happy.”
The finale of the kite competition saw Young and Aldridge (above) joined
by fellow Brit Katie Dabson and France’s Lauriane Nolot, the eventual
winner. Maddy Anderson was knocked out in the semi-finals, finishing ninth
overall.
“To have four Brits in the top ten, and three in the final fighting it out
for the world title is insane,” added Aldridge, 28, from Poole, Dorset.
“It’s so nice to know we’ve got the strongest squad in the world, pushing
each other hard for the Games next summer.”
Silvers for Gimson and Burnet (below), and a bronze for Wilson, add to the
medals they won at the Paris 2024 test event in Marseille last month.
Alongside the medal success Great Britain qualified for Olympic berths in
eight of the ten Olympic classes, with only the mixed dinghy and men’s
kite spots still to secure.
Freya Black and Saskia Tidey came home fifth in the 49erFX, while James
Petes and Fynn Sterritt were sixth in the 49er. Sam Sills finished fifth
in the men’s iQFOiL.
Hannah Snellgrove missed out on the ILCA 6 medal race by a single point,
but her 11th overall was enough to secure a Paris 2024 nation spot in the
class.
In the para competition, held at nearby Braassemermeer Lake, Rory McKinna
narrowly missed the podium in the men’s Hansa 303 class while Adam Billany
and Emily Wright were 11th in the RS Venture Connect.
Mark Robinson, RYA Performance Director, said: “It’s been a great two
weeks in The Hague with the local organisers pulling together a very large
and complicated event with some trying wind and tide conditions.
“Our key aim was to qualify for Paris 2024 in as many classes as possible
and we have achieved that in eight with opportunities to qualify the other
two in the coming months after narrowly missing out at this event.
“It’s been great to see the team’s hard work coming together towards this
aim and our performances in the new board classes, particularly the kite
women where we had three out of four sailors in the final.
“Our focus now turns towards the Kite Europeans on home waters in
Portsmouth next month where Connor Bainbridge will be aiming to qualify
Britain for Paris 2024, while the classes in which we have already
qualified will be turning their attention towards achieving gold medal
performances in Marseille next July.”
