Gisela Pulido finishes fifth in the Formula Kite Test Event in Marseille.
Gisela Pulido finished fifth in the Marseille Test Event in the Formula Kite discipline, after an exciting day of competition in French waters. The sixth day of the event was marked by light breezes ranging between 7 and 11 knots throughout the afternoon of July 14, 2023.
Pulido, a renowned Spanish kiteboarder, made it into the Medal Series from fifth place in the overall standings. In Semifinal B, she had to battle through three thrilling battles to try to secure her spot in the Grand Final. In the first round, Germany's Leonie Meyer took the win, earning her first victory in the competition. Meanwhile, both Pulido and China's Jinyue Chen had each earned a win in the final overall standings. Pulido's second round went to Chen, leveling the score and taking the race to a third round. However, this time, it was Chen who managed to pull away and secure a spot in the Grand Final, while Pulido finished her Test Event in a creditable fifth place.
Gold in the women's Formula Kite event went to Frenchwoman Lauriane Nolot, who emerged as the day's best competitor. Meanwhile, in the men's category, Spaniard Bernat Cortes finished 16th on the previous day, while Frenchman Axel Mazella took the victory in the day's Grand Final.
The Test Event in Marseille has been a key opportunity for Formula Kite athletes to prepare for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This event allowed them to face realistic competition conditions and evaluate their performance before the major sporting event. Gisela Pulido's participation in this event and her fifth place in the final standings demonstrate her talent and dedication to the discipline of kitesurfing.
With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in sight, athletes continue to hone their skills and strategies to best represent their countries. The Marseille Test Event has been a valuable experience for Pulido and other competitors, providing them with the opportunity to compete against some of the best athletes in their disciplines and fine-tune their approach in pursuit of future success.
Now, all competitors have their sights set on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the Test Event has been valuable preparation for facing future challenges and achieving success in what will, for the first time, be the sport's most important competition.
Sources used: paris2024.sailing.org and sailing.org
