Paris 2024 Day 11: Five Things We Learned

Pasta is Fasta

Right on the eve of possibly their final race together in the Nacra 17, the Italians Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti revealed the secret of their phenomenal success in the foiling catamaran over the past four or five years. “Pasta is Fasta,” winked Tita, who also says that he brings his mama’s homemade tomato sauce with him wherever he travels in the world. 

South Americans on fire!

Normally it’s the Brazilians who can be relied on to keep the Olympic flame burning for South America. On this occasion Brazil look set to leave Marseille without any medals but two other nations are carrying the torch for their continent. In the history of the modern Olympics, Peru has won a total of four medals, three in shooting events and one in volleyball. So Stefano Peschiera, sitting in bronze medal position going into the Men’s Dinghy final, is carrying the hopes of a nation with him. Meanwhile we might have expected the Italians already to have both hands on the Olympic title before the Nacra 17 medal race, yet Argentinian team Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco still have a shot at the gold. Earlier in the day the ARG crew were running ITA really close on points until a slip-up in the last race of the afternoon when they finished 12th. Now it looks more likely the Argentinians will be looking to defend the silver medal position from the New Zealand and British crews a few points back. But still, a pretty nice position to be in for Argentina.

Cheering Crowds put power in Nolot’s legs

Lauriane Nolot had just won the only race that managed to get away today in the Women’s Kiteboarding competition. With barely four or five knots of breeze, Nolot and the rest of the fleet were using their legs to pump the board through the water. When the kite isn’t generating sufficient power to keep them foiling, the riders are forced to bring all their cardiovascular and muscular powers into play in order to avoid sinking into the water. “After we finished the race I was so close to dying,” she said. “I had been pumping for 500 metres and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna die.’ My heart rate was so high but when I heard everybody screaming I was like, ‘OK Lolo, you need to keep on working, otherwise they’re gonna boo me!’ But no, seriously, it’s really nice having the crowd here. They’re giving me strength and giving us such good energy.”

Toni’s girlfriend is on her way

Toni Vodisek’s girlfriend is on her way to Marseille. The Slovenian says he usually does better when she’s around, and even without her presence he’s already leading the Men’s Kiteboarding competition by three points. “But I will have to put away the video games,” admits Toni. “No more League of Legends for me when she is here.” Toni is loving his first experience of an Olympic Games. “The fleet is on such a level and everything is really, really hard to do, but it’s really fun and I’m really enjoying being on the biggest stage in the world.”

Despicable Valentin

Austrian kiteboarder Valentin Bontus is sitting in third overall, and maybe part of his success is down to his stretch white body glove. Some people think Valentin is channelling Dru from the movie Despicable Me, but actually it’s a bit more scientific than that. “I was speaking with the Ski Federation of Austria and they gave me one to try in the wind tunnel and it came out with some good results, so I thought, why not take every little advantage we can!”

written by Andy Rice