(Reuters) – For most would-be Olympians the lure of gold is their only focus — but Polish windsurfer Pawel Tarnowski has taken defeat in his stride with a healthy, if often rare, dose of perspective.
The 29-year-old limped out of the World Championships — literally, having broken a toe in training — having finished in 13th place, but still had a smile on his face.
“I became a father just two days ago, so I am super excited to get back to Poland as soon as I can to meet my new son for the first time,” the sailor and model said after slumping at the weekend.
“So I might have missed a medal here, but my new son is my medal, I am very happy. My wife is feeling good as well. This is the most important thing for me at the moment. My toe will cure eventually for sure and I’ll be back in a few months, ready to fight for the big championships again.”
Tarnowski’s iQFoil event, won in the Hague by Dutchman Luuc Van Opzeeland, will feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics next year at the sailing event’s Marseille venue.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
