Ellie Aldridge on winning Women's Kite gold
by Editor 8 Aug 21:27 BST
8 August 2024
Ellie Aldridge (GBR) wins Women's Kite gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics © World Sailing / Jean-Louis Carli
Great Britain's Ellie Aldridge bossed the three races in the Women's Kite Final in Marseille to win the gold medal. Here is her initial reaction after coming off the water.
So how do you feel?
Ellie: I don't really feel anything at the moment! I feel completely overwhelmed and like I don't know anything. I can't believe what's happened.
What do you put your success down to this week?
Ellie: It's been a tricky week. To be honest, as soon as we knew the venue was Marseille we knew it would be a tricky venue. We knew it would be light, and possibly one of the worst places we'd ever kited. But you've just got to learn how to deal with it, how to adapt, and how to be consistent when the conditions aren't good, and then how to excel when it really matters. It really did all come down to today; I'm really happy that I managed to hold it all together and win three races.
Congratulations! How did you turn that first race around?
Ellie: I was on a different kite size to everyone else; I was on the smaller kite, which is the 15 metre. I went out with the 21 first, but thought "nah". When overpowered, and especially on the shorter course, I prefer a smaller kite because you're just more manoeuvrable. I just feel more comfortable. I knew that the bigger kite would be faster downwind, but that the smaller kite would probably be faster upwind. As soon as I went round the leeward mark I knew this was the time I had to make the overtaking move. I managed to stay a bit higher and faster, and get on the inside. I had enough of a gap behind me that when we went downwind I stayed in front.
How does it feel to have won Britain's only sailing gold medal at these Games?
Ellie: Oh my.
Do you feel more pressure because of that?
Ellie: No, not really, because I know there's quite a few people in the team that could have won gold. They just didn't have the right week. In my opinion, I'm fortunate because of the conditions/circumstances. I know that we have got such a strong team, still, even though the medal count doesn't show it, the guys in the team are so incredible - they are amazing athletes. I feel really happy to have got a gold, but I also hope that it brightens everyone's spirits a bit, after the week we've had.
What did you come here expecting?
Ellie: My goal was to medal. I knew that if I had the right week I could win. Everything was going to have to align. At the beginning of the week I felt that I didn't have great luck; there were a few races where I was leading and then the race was abandoned half-way through, and that was really annoying. My luck came round today, and I was on the right kite size for the conditions, and managed to come in ahead.
By all accounts you are pretty tough, mentally. Where does that come from?
Ellie: I think just determination and focus. I'm not really sure. When you're racing out there you're not thinking about anything else, except exactly what you're doing right in that moment. You just can't afford to think about anything else - I think I've got the ability to do that. As soon as you go on the water you just switch off, and you're focussed on what you need to do.