Toni Vodišek

Toni Vodišek
	Vodišek in 2024
Personal information
Born	7 June 2000 (age 24); Izola, Slovenia
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
Sailing career
Class	Kitesurfing
Competition record
Representing Slovenia
Olympic Games
World Championships

Toni Vodišek (born 7 June 2000) is a Slovenian kitesurfer. Vodišek won the Formula Kite World Championship in 2022. He competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the inaugural men's Formula Kite event, where he reached the finals and won the silver medal.

Biography

Vodišek was born on 7 June 2000 in Izola, Slovenia.^[1] His father was also a kitesurfer, described as one of the "pioneers" of the sport in Slovenia.^[2] His father had attempted to make the 2012 Summer Olympics when kitesurfing was in consideration for the games, but his career ended due to injury.^[3] Vodišek's first experience in the sport came at age six, and by age nine he started competing in competitions, in the freestyle discipline.^[1] He later changed to kite racing.^[1] He recalled that when his father was injured and "couldn't continue ... The equipment was in the garage and he said, 'now you do it.'"^[3]

In 2015, at the age of 15, Vodišek was the European and world junior runner-up and qualified for the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup, where he reached the finals of the Formula Kite event.^[4] Then, from 2016 to 2018, he won three straight European and world junior championships; he also competed in senior competitions, placing sixth at the 2017 world championships and seventh at the 2018 World Cup.^[1]^[5] Vodišek was selected to represent Slovenia at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, where he won a silver medal and was the Slovenian flagbearer.^[5]^[6]

Vodišek won silver in Formula Kite at the 2019 senior European championships, the first-ever medal for Slovenia at the event.^[7] He also won three World Series competitions that year.^[3] In 2020, he competed with his sister, Marina, at the European mixed team championship, placing 10th.^[8] He won one World Series title during the 2021 season.^[1] He won the European championship and later his first World Championship in 2022.^[3]^[9]

Vodišek was runner-up at the World Championships in 2023, which qualified him for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the first time Formula Kite was featured at the games.^[3]^[10]^[11] He was named the 2023 Slovenian Sailor of the Year.^[12] He reached the finals of the 2024 World Championships.^[13] At the Olympics, he reached the finals and ultimately won the silver medal, behind Valentin Bontus of Austria.^[6]^[14] He served as the flagbearer for Slovenia at the closing Olympic ceremony.^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Vodišek, Toni. "Biography | Toni Vodišek | Slovenia". ToniVodisek.com.
^ Zupanc, Anja (10 August 2024). "Toni Vodišek Wins Silver Olympic Medal in Formula Kite". Slovenia.si. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Toni Vodisek: 'I want to win Olympic gold, for me and my father'". World Sailing. 22 July 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^ G. L. (29 October 2015). "Kajtar Toni Vodišek edini Slovenec na finalu v ZAE" [Kajtar Toni Vodišek the only Slovenian in the final in the UAE]. Delo (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Jadralec Toni Vodišek zastavonoša na olimpijskih igrah" [The sailor Toni Vodišek is the flag bearer at the Olympic Games]. eNavtika. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Olimpijski podprvak Toni Vodišek obljublja, da se bo vrnil še močnejši" [Olympic runner-up Toni Vodišek promises to come back even stronger] (in Slovenian). Radiotelevizija Slovenija. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ "Toni Vodišek je na evropskem prvenstvu bodoče olimpijske discipline formula kite Sloveniji prijadral prvo srebrno medaljo. Od 19-letnega Koprčana je bil boljši le Axel Mazella iz Francije" [Toni Vodišek won Slovenia's first silver medal at the European championship of the future Olympic discipline of formula kite. Only Axel Mazella from France was better than the 19-year-old from Koprčan.] (in Slovenian). Slovenian Sailing Federation. 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ R. P. (20 September 2020). "Toni in Marina Vodišek med najboljših deset, Slovenija peta na EP" [Toni and Marina Vodišek in the top ten, Slovenia fifth at the EP]. Siol. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ "First world title for Vodisek, No.6 for Moroz". International Kiteboarding Association. 2022. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^ Š. R. (19 August 2023). "Toni Vodišek priplul v Pariz in srebrno pristal" [Toni Vodišek sailed to Paris and landed in silver]. Delo (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ Ficko, Anamarija (20 March 2024). "23-letni Toni Vodišek slovenski adut za medaljo v Parizu" [23-year-old Toni Vodišek is Slovenia's trump card for a medal in Paris] (in Slovenian). Pop. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Vodisek Toni". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ "Toni Vodišek na SP v Hyeresu med deseterico in v odločilnih bojih" [Toni Vodišek at the WC in Hyeres among the top ten and in decisive battles]. Ekipa (in Slovenian). 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^ "Toni Vodišek neposredno v finale: Kolajna je že skoraj naša, gremo po zlato" [Toni Vodišek directly to the final: Kolajna is almost ours, let's go for the gold] (in Slovenian). Siol. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.