Paris 2024

Windsurfing, besides being a fantastic sport, is constantly evolving.

With the introduction of the Foil, a fin underneath the board that allows precise hydrodynamic shapes to generate lift upwards, one can literally fly over the water.

Reaching speeds of even more than 50 km/h has made Windsurf- Foil a sport capable of extraordinary thrills and has completely transformed the world of traditional windsurfing to such an extent that, at the end of 2019, it was selected as the new Olympic discipline for the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.

The new class is called IQ-Foil and has the particularity of being made up of one-design equipment, meaning that all athletes compete with the same equipment.

Thanks to my experience, accumulated over years of racing, combined with an already excellent knowledge of Foil, I found myself with all the right cards to launch myself into the Olympic adventure.

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In 2020 my sprint to Paris 2024 officially started.

That year I finished 5th at the European Absolute Championships in the new class and joined Swiss Olympic's elite athletes.

In 2021 and 2022, I consolidated my position among the strongest athletes in the world, taking 12th place at the 2021 World Championships and 3rd place at the 2022 World Championships. Year in which I also won the Swiss Championships.

In 2023 was the definitive turning point.

In June I won the 2023 Windsurfing Foil World Champion title in Torbole, in the beautiful setting of Lake Garda.

In July I was selected as a representative for Switzerland to participate in the Marseille IQ Foil Test Event, an event organised as a dress rehearsal for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Here, after finishing 10th overall, I was given the green light to take part in the World Championships in the Netherlands where the 12 passes available for the Paris 2024 Olympics were up for grabs.

In August, with my 21st place in the World Championships in Holland, I secured the 11th of the 12 available Olympic passes. Thanks to this result, I was able to guarantee Switzerland's presence at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the new discipline of IQ FOIL.

All that remains this year are two World Cup stages and, of course, Paris!

The handover of race equipment for the 2024 Olympics

Thanks to winning the Olympic pass during the World Championships in the Netherlands in Den Haag in August 2023, Elia Colombo was able to face a first part of the 2024 racing season certain that he had achieved the most important goal: participating in the Paris Olympics.

The first race of 2024, the World Championship in Lanzarote (Spain), suffered an abrupt interruption due to an elbow injury that occurred during a regatta while Elia was at the top of the overall standings.

In the first World Cup leg in Palma de Majorca (Spain), Elia worked mainly on technique, finishing 26th.

In the second World Cup stage in Hyères (France), Elia finished in 11th place. It was the last chance to face his 23 Olympic opponents in competition and study their technique and form.

Most importantly, the handover of the Olympic equipment that, for the next three months, Elia will test to get to the top in Paris 2024, took place in Hyères.

The PASS for Paris

On 2 May, Swiss Olympic announced that the Olympic pass in sailing had been handed over to Elia Colombo, the 1st Ticinese to be confirmed for this summer's Games.

The Olympic team now has 13 members out of a total of around 120 athletes who will participate in the five-circle competition.

‘I am really happy to be able to definitively plan my participation in Marseille. The selection is just another step: the goal is the Games themselves. That is where I want to be competing for medals’.

Elia Colombo: training in Marseille for Paris 2024.

Testing Olympic equipment in Marseille
As the Paris 2024 Olympics approach in stride, Elia Colombo is perfecting his preparation in Marseille. With July 28 as the date marked in red on his calendar, Elia is immersed in a crucial period of training and material testing, determined to best represent his country on the international stage.

The excitement of the Olympics
"Participating in the Olympics is an honor and a responsibility. It is the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice." The excitement of representing Switzerland on such a prestigious stage is palpable and Elijah is ready to put all his experience and passion into achieving a memorable result.

Technique and preparation
Elia has spent countless hours honing his technique, working on speed, control and endurance to push the limits and improve every aspect of his performance. "Every detail counts. Every workout is a step toward perfection."

Material testing and familiarity with Olympic regulations
One of the key elements of Colombo's preparation is testing the new equipment. Marseille's wind and waves provide ideal conditions to put the new sails and boards through their paces, making sure everything is optimized for competition, as well as familiarizing oneself with the strict Olympic regulations.

The Marseille Olympic Village: a little world apart
Living in the Marseille Olympic Village (though not the official one in Paris) is a unique experience. This environment is an additional source of motivation. "Being surrounded by so many champions is incredible. There is a crazy atmosphere and a current of positive energy that is electrifying and contagious," he recounts.

Determination and commitment to Switzerland
"I want to give my best for Switzerland. Every time I get on the board, I think of everyone who supports me and helped me get here."