Israeli Kite Surfer Mia Ashkanazi Wins Bronze at Sardinia Grand Slam
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Israeli kite foil surfer Mia Ashkanazi won a bronze medal at the Sardinia Grand Slam in Italy, her first senior competition medal. She finished behind French competitors Lauriane Nolot and Lisa Quell in strong winds. In the men's event, Zohar Haruvi secured seventh place. This achievement comes ahead of the 2027 World Championships, a key qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Mia Ashkanazi won a bronze medal at the Sardinia Grand Slam kite foil competition.
- This is Ashkanazi's first medal in a senior competition.
- Strong winds of 17 to 25 knots characterized the event in Sardinia, Italy.
- Lauriane Nolot of France won the gold medal, with Lisa Quell taking silver.
- Zohar Haruvi finished in seventh place in the men's competition.
- The event is a precursor to the 2027 World Championships, a qualifier for the 2028 Olympics.
Israeli kite foil surfer Mia Ashkanazi secured a bronze medal at the Sardinia Grand Slam in Italy on Sunday. This marks Ashkanazi's first medal in a senior competition. The event featured strong winds, with gusts reaching 17 to 25 knots, making precision crucial. In the semi-finals, Ashkanazi competed against Lily Young of Britain and Elena Langwiler of Switzerland, winning her heat to advance to the final.
In the final race, Ashkanazi faced French competitors Lauriane Nolot and Lisa Quell. Nolot, the former world champion and Olympic silver medalist, won the race and the overall competition. Ashkanazi battled Quell for second place throughout the final heat, ultimately finishing behind Nolot. Despite Ashkanazi's strong performance in the final, Quell secured the silver medal due to bonus points earned in the preliminary rounds, leaving Ashkanazi with the bronze.
In the men's competition, Zohar Haruvi qualified for the quarterfinals, finishing ninth overall after consistently placing in the top ten in 11 out of 15 heats. Despite a fall during his quarterfinal race, Haruvi recovered and won the heat to reach the semi-finals. He finished fifth in the semi-finals, securing seventh place overall. The men's event was won by Italy's Riccardo Pianosi, the 2025 World Champion. Dor Zarka finished 11th and Carmel Avishar placed 13th.
The bronze medal comes five months after Ashkanazi's 14th-place finish at the World Championships in Portugal. It also precedes the 2027 World Championships in Brazil, which will serve as the first qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Notably, Israeli athletes had not participated in the European Championships in Turkey for the past two years due to security concerns.
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