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.
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.
The wait did little to deter Bontus, as he returned to the water on Friday and won his 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.
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.”
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.”
