Daniela Moroz Takes Fourth Place in Olympic Kite Sailing Final

The Medal Round for the Women’s Kite may have been a disappointment to Daniela Moroz, but she didn’t disappoint us, as she finished fourth, just short of a bronze medal. In the final race Moroz was partially done in by copping a penalty, later dismissed, rounding the penultimate mark as Great Britain’s Ellie Aldridge foiled away to capture the gold. France’s Lauriane Nolot took silver, and Annelous Lammerts the bronze.

The entire Bay Area yachting community can share a great deal of pride and appreciation for Lafayette’s favorite daughter as Moroz fought to the very end, just as she has from the moment she exploded onto the kite-foiling scene over a decade ago at age 11!

“It hurts a lot, and it will for a while,” Moroz posted. “This sport is both beautiful and ruthless, and as athletes we chase the highs but risk the lows that are part of the journey.”

“I’ve said plenty of times before that I practice conscious gratitude for those highs and lows, and this is now my ultimate challenge.”

Moroz started her day in the semifinals, where she needed one race win to advance to the finals. In a neck-and-neck race, Moroz was narrowly beat by Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler but was fouled at the last windward mark by Lengwiler. Moroz swiftly won her protest and advanced to the finals.

“Everything I do and have been doing over the last several years is to give myself a shot at a medal,” Moroz said.

The second week of racing has been littered with fickle breezes that left most of the fleets wallowing around waiting for the winds to kick in, and as the finals got underway, the breeze again faltered.

“We’ve had so few races in this regatta because of the light wind, which has rarely happened in my time in this sport. It was frustrating to only get one race in (during the opening series), but that’s how it goes sometimes,” Moroz said. “With only a handful of scores on the board, consistent low scores have been crucial to be able to advance. While I’m not in the exact position I was hoping for at this stage, I’m going to go out and do what I know how to do: win races.”

Moroz entered the first race with a potential advantageous position of hoisting the largest kite in her quiver, but it appeared she didn’t quite get off the line as she may have wanted. Aldridge won that first race, which prevented Nolot from taking first, thereby setting up another race.

At the start of the second and final race Lammerts took a lead on the first leg which she never relinquished, in spite of relentless pressure from the six-time world champion.

“I respect the process of this competition and want to extend my sincere congratulations to Ellie, Lauriene, and Annelous, who have shown me friendship on and off the water in this epic lead-up to get here together,” Moroz said.

“I feel completely overwhelmed that I almost don’t feel anything, because I can’t believe what happened,” said Great Britain’s Aldridge, who went with a smaller kite for the final. “My goal was to win a medal and I knew that if I had the right week I could win.”

Over the past few seasons Aldridge has been one of the most consistent athletes to reach the podium. But she has always finished second best at the World Championships, first to Moroz and more recently to Nolot, who has won the past two world titles.

“I know I had the best team out there with me, on shore, and back home, and this result does not take away from how proud I am of the program we put together to represent the Stars and Stripes on the water this week,” said Moroz. “Go, Team USA, forever and always!”

In other sailing news, the Bay Area’s David Liebenberg from Richmond and Florida’s Sarah Newberry Moore concluded their first Olympics in 16th overall, in the Mixed Multihull Nacra 17.

“It was nice to end on a high note with a third place on our last day,” Newberry Moore said. “We put a couple more puzzle pieces together and experienced the potential we know we have.”

“We started sailing together at the beginning of 2018 so it’s been a long journey,” Liebenberg added. “And it wouldn’t be possible without the countless individuals and organizations who supported our goal of being here at the Olympics. To represent the USA at the highest level of sailing in a challenging and rewarding boat we both love is something we’re so proud of.”

As we reported last week in ‘Lectronic, one of Team USA’s Olympic Sailing high points was Hans Henken and Ian Barrows’ hard-earned bronze on the 49er. Now it’s on to Los Angeles in 2028. We can’t wait!!