Pavlos Kontides and the Invisible Game of Olympic Sailing
By Ollimono Magazine | May 5th 2025
You don’t just sail against sailors. You sail against silence. Against the sky that shifts with no warning. Against wind you can’t see but must feel before it touches your sail. “It’s a game of invisible forces,” Pavlos Kontides tells us, “and the only way to win is to outthink what hasn’t happened yet.”
Kontides made history in 2012, winning first-ever Cyprus Olympic medal with a silver in London. Twelve years later, he did it again in Paris. Same medal. Same class. Same sailor — but a different mind.
“I think about it every moment,” he says. “And I still feel the same chills I felt then, watching my country’s flag rise.”
But Pavlos’ story isn’t just about silver. It’s about the space between. The twelve-year stretch where sailing became not just a sport, but a laboratory of the mind.
“Fourth Hurts, But It Fuels You”
In Tokyo 2020, Pavlos finished fourth. No podium. No medal. Just pain and a plan.
“Finishing fourth hurts. But that bitterness becomes fire. My coach told me right there in Tokyo: it won’t fade until you win again. And that’s exactly what happened.”
There’s a quiet steel in the way Pavlos talks about loss. Not as failure — but as data. He sets goals like waypoints and sails straight through them, no matter the storm.
“When I set a new goal, I can focus. I determine the next steps. That’s what keeps me going.”
That mindset carried him to Paris in 2024, where he won the second Cyprus Olympic medal. A different city, a different course — but the same philosophy.
“For every major championship, I prepare to be at my maximum level. That hasn’t changed since London.”
It’s Like Playing Chess on Water
If sailing had a soundtrack, it would be silence and heartbeats. There are no crowds on the water. No coaches shouting from the sidelines. Just a vast, moving puzzle.
“We compete for several days. That alone makes it mentally tough. You have too much time to think — when you’re not racing, and sometimes even when you are.”
Before a race, Pavlos and his coach, Jozo Jakelić, study the course like meteorologists. They track cloud movements, read wind angles, assess water currents.
“I check which side might be favourable, try to understand why. But nature is dynamic. Things change. So I always need a plan — and a backup plan.”
That’s where instinct kicks in.
“Data is helpful, but too much of it can backfire. You might ignore your gut. The best approach? Understand the why behind the data. Then connect it with what you feel in that moment.”
“The Decision That Changes Everything”
In elite sailing, seconds decide races and careers.
“You have many moments where a split-second decision changes the outcome,” he says. “It’s the nature of the sport. You learn to trust your training, and sometimes, your instinct.”
These decisions aren’t always visible to the viewer. A slight shift in body weight. A choice to tack early. A gamble on a wind shift based on a cloud formation miles away.
“Sometimes it’s not even clear to you in the moment why you did what you did. But you feel it. And if you’re right, you gain meters. That’s all you need.”
“Consistency. Mental Resilience. That’s What Separates Us”
Pavlos has raced against the best: Australia’s Tom Slingsby, Matthew Wearn, and a host of world champions.
“What separates an Olympic champion from the rest? Consistency. Mental resilience. Maybe you should ask them,” he laughs.
At the start line of the Olympics, Pavlos says it’s just “another race.” But there’s more to it than that.
“The pressure — media, expectations from your country — it builds up. If you can’t manage that, it can destroy your whole campaign.”
He’s seen it happen. Athletes cracking under the weight of invisible expectations, just like the winds they try to tame. Here’s where the flow state of mind is helpful.
This Job is 24/7
Off the water, Pavlos trains like an endurance athlete.
“Mornings start with cycling or gym. Then sailing. Then recovery or more fitness, depending on the day.”
Recovery is science: microcirculation machines, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and discipline.
“It’s not just about training. It’s about how you live. Everything affects your body — and your mind.”
“I Still Feel the Fire” to win another Cyprus Olympic Medal
The question of retirement lingers over every athlete past 30. But Pavlos is clear.
“That’s the goal. LA 2028. I still feel the fire. And I’ve never hidden the fact that I dream of Olympic Gold” and becoming not just the first Cyprus Olympic medalist, but the Cyprus Olympic Champion.
He doesn’t know if he’ll win it. But that doesn’t matter.
“What I’m absolutely sure of is that I’ll give everything to remain competitive. That’s what matters.”
Legacy, and the Wake He Leaves Behind
In Cyprus, Pavlos is more than a sailor. He’s a symbol. A first. A north star for future generations.
“If you feel a love for sailing, chase your dream. It won’t be easy. But persistence and confidence — they always lead to something.”
He doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. But he knows this: sailing teaches you who you are.
“Life is a journey with ups and downs. How you navigate them — that’s your identity. That’s your character.”
Racing the Unseen
Pavlos Kontides doesn’t just race boats. He races chaos. The kind you can’t measure with instruments. The kind that lives in wind shifts, rival tactics, and your own mind.
And that’s what makes him extraordinary.
Because while others chase medals, he chases mastery.
Because while others wait for the wind, he reads it.
Because in the end, to win a race against the unseen — you have to become invisible, too.