Aimee Bright has been crowned iQFOiL Under-23 World Champion after a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the grand final at Puck, Poland.
Bright’s mother, Barbara Kendall, competed at five Olympic Games between 1992 and 2008, winning gold in sailboarding in Barcelona in 1992, silver in Atlanta in 1996 and bronze at Sydney 2000.
Her uncle, Olympic legend Bruce Kendall, also enjoyed a stellar career, winning bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Games before claiming gold at Seoul in 1988.
Bright, who sails out of the Manly Sailing Club at Whangaparaoa near Auckland, dominated the world junior regatta from the outset, winning 11 of the 20 qualifying course and slalom races to earn a direct spot in the winner-take-all final.
But the final was anything but straightforward, with the up-and-coming Bright drawing on her sporting pedigree to navigate some tense moments.
The Kiwi made a slow start, allowing Norway’s Maya Gysler to take the early lead. With conditions light and competitors pumping hard downwind, Bright gradually clawed her way back into contention.
She made her move at the final mark, sweeping past Gysler before holding her nerve through the closing reaches to secure her first world title.
“It was a very exciting final race,” Bright said.
“I came in a bit early to the start, so I didn’t have much speed coming off the line. It was quite light, and we were pumping a lot downwind. I tried to hook in and save my energy as much as I could.
“It looked like she was quite far in the lead, so I was thinking I was just going to come second.”
She closed the gap on her opponent with a late charge to seal the title.
“It’s pretty surreal to call myself under-23 world champion,” a thrilled Bright said.
Now, a new generation of the Kendall family is making waves on the water.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz
