When New Zealand sailors return from France following the Paris Olympics we could well expect medals to be included in their luggage. In particular, Justina Kitchen (a Howick local) is one to watch, windsurfing legend, Bruce Kendall, expects.
“Justina is representing New Zealand in kitefoiling, which is ridiculously fast,” the Bucklands Beach local says. “I started coaching her around about 2000. She’s shown incredible perseverance just to get [to France], so I think she has a very good chance.”
The daughter of an Olympic gold and silver medal-winning sailor, Rex Sellers, Justina has claimed top 10 placings at numerous international events, switching from windsurfing to kitefoiling in 2018. However, the Paris games will provide this former Macleans College student with her first chance to shine at Olympic level after missing selection in 2012 and 2016.
A couple of other Kiwi sailors, Veerle ten Have and Josh Armit, are also solid medal prospects in Bruce’s books. Both competed in other sailing disciplines prior but are now focused on windsurfing.
“I coached Veerle at Bucklands Beach leading up to the Tokyo Olympics and I also coached Josh, briefly, on the Tamaki Estuary a few years ago. They have been unlucky not to finish on the podium [at Olympics and World Champs] but I think they both, potentially, could win medals this time.”
Foiled again?
Sailing has evolved substantially in recent years due to ‘foiling’. Effectively, boats and boards are now designed to lift above the surface on hydrofoils. This creates less drag and, interestingly for spectators, more speed, Bruce explains.
“The equipment they’re riding now is very different to the gear we used when windsurfing started at the Olympics in 1984,” the bronze (1984) and gold (1988) winning Olympic medallist explains. “The classes are [now] different – they’re high speed but also high risk events.”
However, the Kiwi team will ‘rise to the occasion’, he adds.
“The New Zealand athletes are all absolutely phenomenal – supermen and superwomen in terms of their physicality, training, knowledge and the skills they’ll need to be successful.”
The Paris Olympics’ sailing programme will weigh anchor at the Marseille Marina from July 28 where, all going well, at least one of Bruce’s former students could become a master. More information about New Zealand’s sailing team is accessible via www.olympic.org.nz.
