Gisela Pulido accomplished eighth place for the Olympic Games for Spain in the Formula Kite Feminine

The European Championship of the Formula Kite ends with the best results for Spain: Gisela Pulido achieved a spot for the Olympics for her Country for the Formula Kite Feminine that adds to those already obtained in the World Olympic Classes for the 49er, 49er FX, 470 Mixed, iQFOiL F, iQFOiL M, ILCA 7 and Nacra 17.

The day began punctually and, after confirming the passage to the final of the British Lily Young in group A, the contest began in group B, led by the Dutch Annelous Lammerts, with two victories ahead, the Polish Julia Damasiewicz with one, the German Leonie Meyer and the Spanish Gisela Pulido, the latter two with their scores blank.

The passage to the Final was one of the objectives, but the only Olympic place that was awarded in the championship took on importance with three countries competing for it in the Semi-Finals: Austria, Poland and Spain. Austria's Alina Kornelli took part in Semi-Final A and took third place in the only round contested. Semi-final B started and Gisela Pulido soon took the lead of the fleet, in a hard duel with the Dutch Lammerts that ended with a victory for the Spaniard.

Gisela's first place equalized the scores with Poland's Damasiewicz, but also put Austria, with zero wins on their scoresheet, out of the running for the Olympic place. Starting horn and Pulido and Lammerts starred in the same duel with minimal difference between them. On the last board towards the finish line, Pulido counterattacked and while overtaking Lammerts both riders fell into the water... with a good advantage over their pursuers, the final result depended on the speed of reaction of both sailors and Lammerts managed to take off before adding the third victory that gave her the pass to the Final. Gisela crossed the line in second place, but obtained the best of the prizes: the Olympic place for her country. Poland and Spain both had wins, but the tie-breaker went in Pulido's favor.

It has been a difficult championship for Gisela Pulido, in which she has fought until the end against a race course strewn with seaweed, boarding, protests... but the Spaniard has shown great control and nerves of steel: "It has been a very hard week, the conditions have not been favorable and the fight for the Olympic place was very difficult. But today I went out for everything and I was convinced that I could win. I gave everything I had and in the end we achieved our goal, we're going to Paris!

The European titles went to Great Britain's Ellie Aldridge in the women's race and Italy's Riccardo Pianosi in the men's race.