Kiteboarding is included in the Olympic sailing program. The athlete stands on a board and holds a kite, a large airborne sail. The race in Gizzeria included a European and a global ranking; Svetlana Trusova won gold in the first and silver in the second ranking.

At ITMO, Svetlana is a student of the Bachelor’s program MLOps: AI Systems Management. When choosing a university, she was drawn to ITMO’s atmosphere and the opportunity to join the university’s sailing sports club won her over. Svetlana is able to combine her studies and training thanks to a more flexible educational format. Some classes are held online, which means she can attend them even when on location at training camp or a competition. And when she returns to St. Petersburg, she gets to turn in her practical assignments.

Svetlana has been practicing kiteboarding for six years and is part of the KronBars sailing sports club representative team. At the championship, Svetlana represented the sailing school Olympiyskiye Nadezhdy (Olympic Promise).

During the competition, the weather in Italy was challenging: a 6-10 m/s wind and temperatures of over +37° C An additional challenge was added by waves.

“This weather really tested our team – for nearly the entire week prior to the championship we were training with a slight wind and light waves. During the competition, the conditions changed: the wind got stronger and the water – more unruly. I had to make quick decisions to adapt to these changes. The race area was quite “readable”: it was possible to estimate where the wind would be better and where you could benefit from your tactics and maneuvers. This race helped me improve my technique, strategy, and mindset,” says Svetlana Trusova. 

Now, Svetlana is training for her next race – the world championship in Urla, Türkiye on August 17-23.

“This season I am adapting to performing at the international level – I want to assess my strength compared to other athletes. My next race is the youth world championship in August. At this tournament, there will be even more participants, so it’s a great opportunity for me to compare myself to a wider international fleet, gain experience, and continue growing,” adds the athlete.