While waiting for a favourable weather window to take the start of his 2 e stage for his 2018 kitesurfing challenge between Le Conquet and Saint-Malo, disabled athlete Chris Ballois has just set a new speed record. During the"Prince of Speed" world speed record attempt, which took place at La Palme (11) between 25 June and 23 July 2018, he recorded an average speed of 35.78 knots over one nautical mile (1852 m).
A performance made on July 21 in kitesurfing and recorded by an official video system and in the presence of WSSRC Commissioner Michael Ellison.
He beats the world speed record in kitesurfing on a mile, held until then by the Englishman Rob Munro and achieved at Walvis Bay in South Africa. This is the first time in any sport that a Handisport athlete has broken a"valid" world record
"This record is an enormous satisfaction, being the fastest over 500 m of the"disabled sailor" was a fact, getting this record over the Mille nautique (1852m) among able-bodied athletes brings athletes with disabilities into another dimension.
A world record is difficult to beat and it is the fruit of long years of perseverance and hard work. I hope that this record will inspire others and that this performance will open people's minds on disability in sport, in civil society and in business.
I also hope that this will open new doors for Handisport athletes in terms of institutional and private communication, sponsorship, funding and recognition.
A big thank you to all the partners who helped me achieve this record."
Chris Ballois, deprived of a left forearm at birth, has set his second world speed record since he had already set his first kitesurfing record in 2014 in Namibia with an average speed of 42.94 knots (79.5 km/h) over 50 0m.
