Kite Olympic Champion Valentin Bontus Competes at Lake Traunsee
From September 4th to 8th, the UPPER AUSTRIA KiteFoil Grand Prix Traunsee will take place. The men’s field is led by Valentin Bontus, who will be coming to Ebensee as the newly crowned Olympic champion. For the 23-year-old, this will be his fourth appearance at Lake Traunsee. Austria’s top female kiter, Alina Kornelli, will also compete in the women’s event. The SC Kammersee athlete finished fourth at last year’s event at the Rindbach leisure facility.
The Salzkammergut region will host the KiteFoil World Series for the fourth time. This year’s series, which consists of three stops, will once again kick off in Upper Austria, with races taking place from Thursday to Sunday. The high-caliber men’s field is led by Valentin Bontus, who recently became the Olympic champion at the Formula Kite’s Olympic debut, with the events being held in Marseille.
“After the Olympic victory and celebrations, I had the opportunity to calmly process all the emotions and impressions over the past few days. I am incredibly grateful to be able to practice this sport, to experience these moments, and to have so many great people by my side. The events at Lake Traunsee are always special. The scenery is impressive, the organization is top-notch, and we athletes feel really comfortable there. My journey started here, and I will continue it: whether you call it my first start after the Olympic victory or the kick-off for Los Angeles 2028, I am looking forward to competing again. When there’s wind at Lake Traunsee, it’s a dream – and I am confident that it will be a great event”, says Bontus ahead of the UPPER AUSTRIA KiteFoil Grand Prix. The athlete from Yacht Club Podersdorf is returning to the event at Lake Traunsee for the fourth consecutive time, having finished seventh last year.
In the Formula Kite women’s competition, another prominent Austrian Sailing Federation athlete, Alina Kornelli, will compete. For the SC Kammersee athlete, the event is a “home game in Upper Austria.” The 24-year-old finished her first Olympic regatta – where only six out of 16 races could be held – in eleventh place, narrowly missing the Medal Series by just two points. Last year, Kornelli finished fourth at the Lake Traunsee event.
Profs Managing Director Christian Feichtinger commented: “The spectacular kite images from the Olympic Games have been seen around the world. It shows the direction in which sailing is evolving. This trend sport fits very well with our region and is therefore an excellent promotion for Salzkammergut and all of Upper Austria. We are especially pleased to welcome the newly crowned Olympic champion Valentin Bontus – who had his first races at Lake Traunsee – and Upper Austria’s flagship athlete Alina Kornelli back to Lake Traunsee.”
