Tom Reuveny picked up a gold medal for Israel in the men's windsurfing with a phenomenal performance in the final.
Reuveny had not won a race in the Opening Series but saved his best for last by crossing the line ahead of the pack.
"I have so many emotions. I've put in so many years of hard work, and I had the perfect Medal Race," expressed Reuveny.
"I only had to win one race in this event, and I won the most important one. I knew I had to get a good start as Luuc and Grae are super-fast.
"I used what I learnt throughout the years and all the medal races that I've lost to make this one into a win."
The Netherlands' Luuc van Opzeeland and Great Britain's Sam Sills qualified for the semifinal race with fast finishes in the quarterfinal.
Van Opzeeland followed that up with another stellar showing in the semifinal, winning the race to qualify for the final. Reuveny was a close second, booking himself a spot in the grand finale.
"I'm pretty stoked about winning two races to get to the final. I had a bit of overspeed today. I managed to have clear starts and accelerate away," noted Van Opzeeland.
"In the first race, I rounded first, and then there was less wind for me than the guys behind me, but I managed to do a good laying there. In the second race, I managed to control the whole thing.
"I think the Netherlands has a very strong team, and we have sailors sitting at home who would have done fantastically here. That's the reason why we're so good."
The duo joined Australia's Grae Morris in the winner-takes-it-all-race, which Reuveny eventually mastered, soaring past the others to pick up a gold medal.
"That was an epic race, super fun. I was pretty nervous before, but the longer we waited, the more I settled and thought about what we were going to do," concluded Morris.
"It's going to be a while before we get to experience this again, and I think the wait made it worth it."
"I made a few mistakes and just tried to keep my head clear and take my next opportunity to do what I could."
"I took everything I've done, everything I've trained for, and put it into that moment. It could have gone better, but I'm super happy, so no regrets at all."
Gold for Maggetti
Marta Maggetti wrapped up a memorable gold medal for Italy in the Women's Windsurfing with a fine performance in the Medal Series.
Despite not winning a race in the Opening Series, Maggetti rose to the occasion when the pressure amplified to top the podium.
Peru's Maria Belen Bazo and China's Zheng Yan were the top two in the quarterfinal race and progressed to the semifinal, where they met Maggetti and Israel's Sharon Kantor.
The reigning world champion, Kantor, won the race and was closely followed by Maggetti, meaning the two progressed to the final to face off with Great Britain's Emma Wilson.
With the standings decided by the final race, Maggetti switched into gear and took the lead halfway through and did not relinquish her position, crossing the finish line ahead of the other two windsurfers.
"I'm so happy. I wasn't stressed today. After I finished the semifinal, I cried a bit, but then I focused and told myself I wanted the gold," told Maggetti.
"In the first lap, I was close, but in the third, I tacked for the mark before Emma and Sharon, so I did less distance on the race course."
"There was no public in Tokyo, no crowd, so the atmosphere here is different, and it's so nice."
Kantor followed to take silver, while Wilson got the bronze.
"I was a bit nervous, but it was an exciting situation. When I got to the final, I felt relieved. To get a medal for me is enough. I am so happy," said Kantor.
Wilson was frustrated. She dominated the Opening Series and fell in the decisive final races.
"I was ahead, made a mistake on the layline. I hadn't done a race yet, and the other girls had done a race, so they knew where the layline was, explained Emmal.
"I'll be proud when I get on the podium."
"The girls I race against are amazing. I have been racing Marta since I was eight, she's an amazing person so I'm really happy for her."
IQFoil at Paris 2024 | Final Races
Men
- Tom Reuveny (ISR)
- Grae Morris (AUS)
- Luuc Van Opzeeland (NED)
Women
- Marta Maggetti (ITA)
- Sharon Kantor (ISR)
- Emma Wilson (GBR)