The Formula Kite World Championship leaves a bittersweet taste for the Spanish delegation. Gisela Pulido, the nation's great hope, finished in nineteenth place out of a total of 32 participants, far from the medals. In the men's category, Climent, Cairo, and Collado failed to advance past the Silver Group, being eliminated from the fight for the top positions.
Technological lag hinders the national fleet's performance 🏎️
The poor performance of the Spanish team is no coincidence. While powerhouses like France and Singapore develop next-generation foils and AI-assisted flight control systems, Spanish sailors compete with materials from previous generations. The lack of investment in R&D and the absence of wind tunnels to test specific aerodynamic profiles for kites limits top speed and stability in critical maneuvers, decisive factors in a sport where every tenth of a second counts.
Pulido, Collado & Co.: a bronze in the almost almost category 😅
Good thing the motto is it's the taking part that counts, because otherwise, the Spanish delegation would be returning home empty-handed and with their pride somewhat bruised. Gisela Pulido, who was once world champion, now settles for being number 19 on the planet. One consolation: at least they weren't last, they leave that for others. Sure, if kite evolves at the speed they sail, maybe next year we'll see them in the top 18.