Eleanor (Ellie) Aldridge (born December, 1996) is a British sailor from Dorset who competes in women's kite foiling. She won the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships and took the silver that year in the World Championships.
Ellie Aldridge | |
|---|---|
| Born | December, 1996 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Formula Kite competitor |
| Known for | kitefoiling |
Life
editAldridge was born in December 1996[1] and she comes from Poole in Dorset.
In 2021 she beat French windfoiler Lauriane Nolot into third place at that year's Formula Kite World Championships in Torregrande in Sardinia. However she took the silver as she was beaten by the American Daniela Moroz.[2] In 2022 she took the silver medal in the KiteFoil World Series Traunsee in Austria. She was beaten by the Polish surfer Julia Damasiewicz, who took the gold medal, and Daniela Moroz was third.[3]
Aldridge led the UK contingent at the World Championships in August 2023 in Bournemouth. Lauriane Nolot won the event and Aldridge took the silver.[4] She was followed in third and fourth place by fellow British competitors, Lily Young and Katie Dabson.[5] In 2023 she was training with four other "GB Kite Girls" in Weymouth. Katie Dabson and the other "GB Kite Girls" were assisting her training for the Olympics.[6]
She had already won the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships in Portsmouth. This was her first significant win and she took first, despite a crash. Lauriane Nolot, the world champion was not in Portsmouth for the event.[7] There was an olympic rehearsal type event later in Paris, in 2024, when she came second to Nolot.[8]
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris includes new sports and one of these was kite foiling which had been selected in 2019.[9] When the UK announced the first members of its 2024 Olympic sailing team then Aldridge was one of the eleven names.[8] She joined a team that included the Olympic medallists John Gimson, Anna Burnet and the windsurfer Emma Wilson.[10] The theory is, that the heaver you are then the faster you go at Kite surfing. The World Champion Lauriane Nolet was 15 kg heavier than her, so Aldridge's preparation included putting on weight.[5]
In March 2024 the Formula Kite European championships took place in Spain. Aldridge finished in fifth place just ahead of Lily Young.[11]
References
edit- ^ "ELLIE ALDRIDGE LIMITED". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "America Wins But British Kite Foiler Ellie Aldridge Takes Silver at the 2021 Formula Kite World Championships". afloat.ie. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "2022 KiteFoil World Series Traunsee - Overall". www.sail-world.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Poole sailor Ellie seals statement silver ahead of Olympics". Bournemouth Echo. 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ a b "Meet the team: Ellie Aldridge". British Sailing Team. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Katie Dabson and the power of the GB Formula Kite girls". East Lothian Courier. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ "Formula Kite European Championships: Briton Ellie Aldridge crowned European kitefoil champion". BBC Sport. 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ a b Rice, James (2023-10-27). "Team GB kite foiler Ellie Aldridge on how she will handle Olympic pressure Team GB kite foiler Ellie Aldridge on how she will handle Olympic pressure". Buzz. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "World Siling Confirms Formula Kite in Paris 2024". Surfer Today. 2019.
- ^ Ingle, Sean (2023-10-11). "Stokes backed to inspire Team GB by going for gold at 2028 LA Olympics". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Sailing's Lily Young confident after 2024 Formula Kite Europeans". Northwich Guardian. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
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