Olympic kitesurfing gold medal for Poole’s Ellie Aldridge

A woman from Poole has made history by becoming the first ever Olympic gold medallist in kitesurfing at this year’s games in France.

Ellie Aldridge won gold in a new Olympic event, the Women’s Kite Foiling, where athletes reach speeds of up to 50mph while riding a board powered by huge kites. The final was held in Marseille on 8 August.

Ellie started sailing aged seven. She was the European champion in kitesurfing in 2023 and has won four world championship medals in the past three years. 

Her gold medal is a saving grace for the British Sailing Team, which has had a disappointing Olympics. Team GB is traditional very strong in the sport – the country has won more sailing medals than any other nation in the 117-year history of the Olympic Games.

But this year, the only other medal secured was in windsurfing by Emma Wilson. The 25-year-old from Portland won bronze.