Kiteboarder Christian Tio expresses aim for gold in 2024 Olympics

FILE: The athlete from Boracay returned to his home country last week after receiving the silver medal in men’s kiteboarding in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October 14, sharing the podium with Deury Corniel from the Dominican Republic. (Photo: Christian Tio / Facebook)

After standing second place on the podium for the Philippines’ only medal in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, seventeen-year-old kiteboarder Christian Tio shared about his desire to fare just as well in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

At a press conference held in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Monday, October 22, Tio shared with the media that “Kiteboarding will be an Olympic sport 2024 in Paris, that’s part of the plan,” and that he’s using the next six years “to prepare and get better every day.”

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chief Arnold Agustin then assured his full support. Jonne Go, President of the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation added, “I looked over his credentials and had a gut-feel he will deliver.”

The athlete from Boracay returned to his home country last week after receiving the silver medal in men’s kiteboarding in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October 14, sharing the podium with Deury Corniel from the Dominican Republic.

Looking back at his performance, Tio said he was “already expecting a fourth-place finish or just a bronze with all the postponements happening for the finals race because of the inclement weather,” adding, “But I just went all in and made it through.”

Tio’s mother Liezl introduced the teenager to the sport at the age of seven, telling the press, “I am very proud of Christian for what he’s achieved.”

Tio will be visiting the Malacañang Palace later this November in order to pick up his P2.5 million incentive from the government, while his coach for the half of that. This is under the recently expanded Republic Act 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.

Tio told the press that he has one message for the public about kiteboarding, that “Hopefully more will enter the sport and it will get much bigger because we have so many islands.”