Connor Bainbridge finished with a flourish to qualify Britain in the Formula Kite ahead of the Thursday’s Medal race series.
This final successful qualification means that Team GB will compete in all ten Olympic events at the Paris Olympics.
Bainbridge completed a dominant display at the Last Chance Regatta in Hyères, finishing with eight race wins to lead into the Medal race with Maksymillian Zakowski of Poland in second.
The top two competitors are seeded into the Medal race final . . . This means that Bainbridge has qualified Britain for the event in Paris 2024.
The competitors in the 3rd to the 10th place are divided into two groups of 4 according to their ranking and race in semi-finals to join Bainbridge (2pts) and Zakowski (1pt). The first to reach three-points wins the final, with each race in the final giving a point to the winner.
Bainbridge must now wait for the RYA/Team GB selection process next week before knowing for sure if he will travel to Marseille.
A relieved Bainbridge said: “It was obviously a pretty stressful regatta. When you name a regatta ‘the Last Chance Regatta,’ it really puts the emphasis on it.”
“Obviously, I missed my opportunity last year at both the Worlds and the Europeans but my coach keeps telling it has made me stronger and it’s going to give us a better hit at the Olympics.”
“It’s a little bit of relief and a little bit of happiness and I’m sure it’ll sink in in a minute, but I can breathe a little bit now. I’m glad it’s done and I’m looking forward to a beer with my coach.”
Team GB Paris 2024 Olympic Selections:
Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17) – John Gimson and Anna Burnet
Men’s Skiff (49er) – James Peters and Fynn Sterritt
Women’s Skiff (49erFX) – Freya Black and Saskia Tidey
Women’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL) – Emma Wilson
Men’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL) – Sam Sills
Women’s Kite (Formula Kite) – Ellie Aldridge
Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7) – Michael Beckett
Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6) – Hannah Snellgrove
Mixed 470 Dinghy – Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube
Men’s Kite (Formula Kite) – TBA
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