Israeli Kite Surfer Mia Ashkenazi Wins Bronze at Sardinia Grand Slam

Israeli kite foil surfer Mia Ashkenazi secured a bronze medal at the Sardinia Grand Slam in Quarto Sant'Elena, Italy. This marks Ashkenazi's first medal in a senior competition, where she competed against top international athletes, including former world champion and Olympic silver medalist Lauriane Nolot of France and 2023 World Championships bronze medalist Lily Young of Great Britain.

The finals took place amidst strong winds of 17 to 25 knots, demanding precision from the competitors. In the semi-finals, Ashkenazi faced Young and Switzerland's Elena Langwiler. Despite a challenging race, Ashkenazi delivered a strong performance, winning her heat and advancing to the final.

In the final race, Ashkenazi competed against Nolot and France's Lisa Quael, who had qualified directly. Ashkenazi continued her strong showing, battling Quael for second place throughout the race. Although Ashkenazi finished ahead of Quael in the final heat, Quael secured the silver medal due to bonus points earned in the preliminary rounds, while Ashkenazi claimed the bronze.

In the men's competition, Zohar Charuvi finished ninth in the preliminaries and reached the quarterfinals. He overcame a fall during his quarterfinal race to win and advance to the semi-finals. However, Charuvi finished fifth in his semi-final, securing seventh place overall. Riccardo Pianosi of Italy won the men's event.

Other Israeli competitors included Dor Zarka, who finished 11th, and Carmel Avishar, who placed 13th. This bronze medal comes five months after Ashkenazi's 14th-place finish at the World Championships in Portugal and precedes the 2027 World Championships in Brazil, where qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will begin. Notably, Israeli athletes had not participated in recent European Championships in this discipline due to security concerns.