Surf Cat

While it seems simple enough to add a Mixed Kiteboard event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, how each nation prepares depends on how kiteboarding evolved in their ranks. Due to the uniqueness of the genre, the job for the national sporting federations is not getting any easier.

Case in point…

While Australian Sailing is the governing body for the sport of Sailing in Australia, the kiteboarding community has Kiteboarding Australia to represent and develop their segment of the sport.

This is not unlike how World Sailing is the sport’s international governing body yet there also exists the International Kiteboarding Association to look after this global sector.

What to do, what to do.

To ensure ‘thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth’, Australian Sailing and Kiteboarding Australia have commenced with joint planning on how to best nurture an Australian gold medalist in the event.

“This is an exciting time for everyone in the sailing community, particularly those involved in kite foil racing,” said Australian Sailing CEO Ben Houston.

“We have commenced planning for our Paris 2024 Olympic campaign, and that includes working with Kiteboarding Australia on how we can best support one another in developing our athletes for the mixed kite event. We look forward to welcoming these world-class competitors to the Australian Sailing Team.”

The two organizations are now working together to deliver the best athletes to be medal ready when racing starts on the waters of Marseilles in four years’ time.

“We look forward to actively continuing to develop Kite Foil racing in Australia,” said Kiteboarding Australia General Manger Declan McCarthy. “It’s an exciting prospect and we hope that we can create an Olympic pathway together that sees kiteboarders standing on the podium at the 2024 Olympics.”

This organizational understanding occurred during the 2020 Australian Kitefoiling National Championships, which is being held in conjunction with Sail Melbourne, Australian Sailing’s flagship annual Olympic Class event.

Australian Sailing asks for those interested in campaigning in the kite foiling event for 2024 to register their details with the organization to ensure they are kept up to date with all the latest news and information in regard to the process.