Macleans College wish Justina Kitchen well at Olympic Games
Posted on July 29, 2024
The staff and students of Upham House at Macleans College sent their best wishes to former student Justina Kitchen (nee Sellers) for her upcoming campaign at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Justina attended Macleans College from 2003 to 2007 and was an Upham House captain. She will make her Olympic debut competing in the women’s kitefoil event. This is the first time kitefoiling has been included on the Olympic sailing schedule.
Kitefoiling involves riders flying above the water on hydrofoils attached to boards which are powered by huge kites. Riders can reach speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour.
Justina has achieved some impressive results during her kitefoiling career, including placing fifth at the 2019 European Championships and two top ten finishes at the world championships.
In September 2023, Justina’s Olympic dream was seemingly in tatters when she ruptured both her ACL and MCL while training, prior to the European championships in England. But Justina refused to admit defeat, “When it’s harder to get there, it makes it all the more significant, and being selected is everything I imagined it would be!”.
The first race of the women’s kitefoil event takes place in Marseille on Sunday 4 August at 10.30 pm (New Zealand time).
