The 22-year-old entered the medal race with a chance of winning gold, but Australia?s five-time world champion Tom Slingsby ? who had led the regatta from start to finish ? managed to stay ahead of Kontides over the Nothe course in Weymouth and secure the Olympic title.
Kontides, who is also an 1, was delighted to have secured Cyprus? first-ever Olympic medal.
“It is really amazing,? he said. ?For me and my country, it is a historic day. I suspect my name will be written in golden letters in Cyprus. I still don’t realise what I have done for myself and when I return to my country on Thursday and people are cheering for me I will start to realise the level of achievement.”
Cyprus first competed at the Games in 1980 and Kontides predicted that the country would be proud of his success: “When I get back home there will be huge celebrations because this is a huge achievement for my country, the first-ever Olympic medal,? he said. ?When I have the medal over my neck and I am back home with my compatriots, then I will really understand what’s going on. I hadn’t really seen it because I didn’t allow myself to be emotional, just focused.”
