Alabau Windsurfs Her Way to Gold at the London Games

London Olympics 2012

Marina Alabau Neira proved to be unstoppable on the seas at the 2012 Olympic Games

After dominating the field in Olympic women’s windsurfing in the contests leading to the final race, the 26-year-old Spanish sailor windsurfed serenely over the tricky shoreline on the medal course to win her final race and secure the gold in women’s RS:X windsurfing at the London Games.

Marina Alabau Neira

“It was super exciting,” said Alabau, whose victory give Spain its first gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. “I managed to do everything I wanted to do. I feel I had a really good week and a really good medal”.

Alabau led going into the medal race, recording four wins and three top-three results during the opening series of races, carrying a 14-point advantage leading into the women’s RS:X medal race.

Marina Alabau Neira

Alabau only had to finish Tuesday among the first seven out of the 10 competitors to win the gold. But she did better than that… She crossed the finish line of the medal race in first place to win the competition by a whopping 20 points.

Finland’s Tuuli Petaja took home the silver, while Poland’s Zofia Noceti-Klepacka came away with the bronze.

Marina Alabau Neira

It’s the first Olympic medal for Alabau Neira, who finished  fourth in the same event at the 2008 Beijing Games.

This is the final year for the RS:X in the Olympics. The 2016 Olympic Games will replace the sailboarding event with kiteboarding.