Pavlos Kontides wins silver medal at Los Angeles Grand Slam

Cypriot sailor Pavlos Kontides secured the silver medal in the ILCA7 class at the Los Angeles Grand Slam held in San Pedro on July 25, 2026. Entering the final two medal races in first place, Kontides finished 8th and 9th, ultimately taking second place overall behind gold medalist Matt Wearn of Australia. British sailor Michael Beckett rounded out the podium in third place. This marks the second consecutive year that the Limassol Nautical Club athlete has medalled at this event, following his third-place finish last year at the Long Beach venue.

The result builds on a successful 2026 for Kontides, who was crowned European Champion for the third time in Croatia this past May and reclaimed the world number one ranking in the ILCA7 category in June for the sixth time in his career. While the athlete expressed satisfaction with his performance, he noted that the final medal races did not unfold according to his tactical plan. Looking ahead, the two-time Olympic silver medallist is focusing on the World Championship in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, scheduled for August 23-30. He aims to use the experience gained in San Pedro as he prepares for his sixth Olympic bid at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.