Emma Wilson's Bronze Medal and Decision to Step Away from Windsurfing

Emma Wilson, the 25-year-old windsurfer, has announced that she is “done with the sport” after securing a bronze medal in the women’s IQFoil event at the Paris Olympics.

Wilson, who had dominated the preliminary rounds, finishing at the top of the standings with eight wins out of 14 races, was initially poised to win Great Britain’s first sailing medal of the Games. However, in the winner-takes-all final, she finished third as Italy’s Marta Maggetti took gold and Israel’s Sharon Kantor claimed silver.

Despite her commanding performance in the preliminary series, Wilson struggled in the final, where the format proved challenging. The race, which featured a dramatic change in conditions and tactics, saw Maggetti overtake Wilson to clinch her first Olympic medal.

Wilson, who also won bronze in the RS

event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, expressed her frustration with the sport’s format, which includes a high-pressure winner-takes-all medal race. She criticized the system for its impact on athletes’ mental health and performance consistency.

"I had a 60-point lead at the World Championships and a 30-point lead here," Wilson noted. "It’s not OK to put people in this position every time. I think I’m done with the sport."

Wilson’s decision follows a disappointing finish where she was unable to maintain her early lead and fell behind after a critical mistake on the lay line. Despite the setback, she remains supportive of her competitors, including Maggetti.

This medal marks Wilson’s second Olympic achievement, highlighting a distinguished career in windsurfing even as she steps away from the sport.