Wylde captures two world championships, aims for Olympics

On Sept. 10 she placed first in the long distance category for women, where competitors raced for more than two hours in Balatonfured, Hungary. Wylde finished 30 seconds ahead of second place finisher, Esperanza Barraras from Spain and sat atop of the Euro Tour rankings entering the finals finishing every race in first, except for one.

“I didn’t want to think about what other people thought I had done,” said Wylde. “I focused on what I knew I could do and my abilities.”

Her abilities would be tested, because 48 hours after her victory in the long distance race she would suit up again for the technical category. The technical race is a much shorter, 1,000 meters long and forces racers make almost 180 degree turns back and forth. On race day there was a factor that some had not anticipated — gusts of wind. Wylde smiled because growing up in Hood River she knew how impactful even the slightest breeze can affect racers. In the shorter technical races every single stroke is important.

Wylde decided her strategy would be to approach the first buoy with extreme caution, hoping to avoid the traffic jam at the first turn. Her tactic worked as she made it safely around the first turn without incident, but others weren’t so fortunate. She built her lead and did her best to stay focused on what was ahead. Coming down the final straight away she heard the roar of the crowd and the realization set in: She was going to be twice a world champion.

“The biggest takeaway from the world championships is preparing and putting yourself in the best spot to hopefully succeed,” said Wylde.

Almost immediately after her world championships, she shifted gears to the newest Olympic sport: Windfoiling.

This past summer the International Olympic Committee approved a new discipline of mens and womens windsurfing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Known as iQFoil or foiling, will make its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympic games and Wylde hopes to represent the United States.

“As an athlete that is the ultimate goal,” said Wylde on her Olympic ambitions.

She only started training for the discipline in the end of 2020, and soon after flew to Marseille, France to work with other members of the U.S. Sailing team. Wylde raced in the European Championships but didn’t get the results she wanted. She and her boyfriend, Aidan Nicholas, then took some time off and went to Dhaka, Morocco, for a Global Wingsports Association world tour event, where the pair decided last minute to join. Much to her surprise, Wylde finished first in both the race and freestyle disciplines. Only learning to foil four months prior, Nicholas earned an 11th place finish in the mens side.

Wylde continued to race in the iQFoil discipline in Florida and won the female U.S. National Championship.

Currently in Mexico, Wylde has her sights set on next Septembers World Championships for Stand Up Paddleboarding in Gdynia, Poland. She will continue her work to represent the U.S. in the iQFoil discipline for the 2024 Paris Olympics.