Marta Maggetti Clinches Gold for Italy in Women’s Windsurfing at the 2024 Olympics with Stellar Medal Series Performance
Marta Maggetti secured a remarkable gold medal for Italy in the Women’s Windsurfing event at the Olympic Sailing 2024 with an impressive performance in the Medal Series. Although she didn’t win any race in the Opening Series, Maggetti rose to the occasion when it mattered most, clinching the top spot on the podium.
In the Quarter-Final race, Peru’s Maria Belen Bazo and China’s Zheng Yan emerged as the top two competitors, earning their spots in the Semi-Final alongside Italy’s Maggetti and Israel’s Sharon Kantor, the reigning world champion.
Kantor claimed victory in the Semi-Final race, closely followed by Maggetti. This result saw both athletes progress to the Final, where they competed against Great Britain’s Emma Wilson.
With everything riding on the final race, Maggetti took charge, seizing the lead halfway through and maintaining her position to cross the finish line first. Kantor followed closely to secure the silver medal, while Wilson finished in third place, taking home the bronze.
Reflecting on her victory, Maggetti said, “I’m so happy. I wasn’t stressed today. After I finished the Semi-Final, I cried a bit, but then I focused and told myself I wanted the gold. In the first lap, I was close, but in third place, I tacked for the mark before Emma and Sharon, so I covered less distance on the racecourse. There was no public in Tokyo, no crowd, so the atmosphere here is different, and it’s so nice.”
Kantor expressed her excitement, saying, “I was a bit nervous, but it was an exciting situation. When I got to the Final, I felt relief. To get a medal for me is enough. I am so happy.”
Wilson added, “I was ahead and made a mistake on the layline. I hadn’t done a race yet, and the other girls had, so they knew where the layline was. I’ll be proud when I get on the podium. The girls I race against are amazing. I have been racing Marta since I was eight, she’s an amazing person, so I’m really happy for her.”
How It Works:
Medals in the windsurfing (iQFOiL) competition are determined by the cumulative results of 24 athletes over 20 races, with the athlete having the lowest total ranking first.
There are three race formats: the Marathon Race, Slalom, and Course Racing. The Marathon, being a longer 60-minute race, counts as two races. Competitors can discard their three worst finishes after completing 16 or more races.
At the conclusion of the Opening Series, the top ten athletes advance to the Medal Series. Those ranked fourth to tenth compete in a Quarter-Final, with the top two moving on to the Semi-Final.
In the Semi-Final, they face off against the athletes who finished second and third in the Opening Series. The top two from the Semi-Final then join the top overall athlete in the Final, where all three are assured a medal. The final race determines the order of the medals awarded.
