Lena Aylin Erdil (born 28 February 1989) is a professional windsurfer from İzmir, Turkey. She is competing in the PWA World Tour mostly in the slalom event. She is currently sponsored by NRV, Starboard Windsurfing, Point7, Salzbrenner Würstchen and FGH.

Lena Erdil
Personal information
Full nameLena Aylin Erdil
Nickname"Rüzgarın Kızı" (Daughter of the Wind)
NationalityTurkish, German
Born (1989-02-28) 28 February 1989 (age 35)
İzmir, Turkey
EducationPolitical science, Philosophy
Alma materUniversity of Sussex
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Sport
CountryTurkey
SportSailing
EventWindsurfing
TeamRed Bull

Personal life

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Lena Aylin Erdil was born to a Turkish father and a German mother in İzmir, Turkey on 28 February 1989.[1][2] When she was two years old, the family moved to Göttingen, Germany,[3] and at the age of ten, she moved with her parents to Brussels, Belgium.[4][2] Her father Güven Erdil is a professor of sports coaching serving as the Head of Sports Department at Marmara University's Faculty of Sports. Her mother Ellen was a primary school teacher of German language,[2] and sports,[1] who died from colorectal cancer at the age of 55 in 2016.[5] Her father and mother had met each other while windsurfing.[6] She spent her childhood years in Germany and Belgium.[1] During summer holidays, she visited Çeşma, İzmir Province for windsurfing.[3]

After completing high school,[3] she received an athletic grant from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, in 2009, where she majored in political science and philosophy.[1][3][4][2]

Following graduation, she returned to Turkey at the age of 24, and settled in Bodrum, Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region.[1][4] In 2007, Erdil opened her own sports school, "Lena Erdil Windsurf Center", in the Ortakent neighborhood of Bodrum with the support of her parents.[1][4] She hosts pro-X-training activities at her sports center.[3]

In 2019, Erdil moved to Germany to settle in Hamburg.[2]

Sports career

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Erdil used to perform windsurfing in her youth with her parents during the summer holidays in Turkey. She received her first windsurfing board and gear at the age of 13 from her father.[4][6]

The 1.64 m (5 ft 4+12 in)-tall sportswoman performs windsurfing professionally, competing in the freestyle, wave, and jump events in addition to her main class of slalom.[7] Although the slalom branch is not an Olympic discipline, she prefers it due to its high speed in racing.[1] She also competes on teams.[8] To remain fit for competitions, she exercises three to six hours a day in the summer months, and in the winter time, she goes to Cape Town, South Africa, for three months.[1]

She debuted in competitive windsurfing at the age of 15. In 2005, Erdil won the junior champion title in the Turkish championship.[3] After being successful in local races, she took part in Turkish championships, and then debuted internationally in 2006.[4][7] She placed fourth at the 2008 PWA World Tour held in Alaçatı, Turkey, marking her first best international ranking.[3][9] In 2012, Erdil took third place in the overall standings at the PWA World Cup after being runner-up in the Italian leg at Reggio Calabria.[4][7][10] She improved her rank in the PWA World Cup's overall classification by placing second in 2014.[4]

At the 2015 International Funboard Class Association (IFCA) Slalom World Championship held in Sylt, Germany, she gained her first championship title,[11] and the next year at the same competition in Brač, Croatia, she defended her title.[1][4][12] Also in 2016, she was the winner of the PWA World Cup's South Korean leg at Ulsan.[4][7] As of 2016, she held eight championship titles in the Turkish Women's Slalom Championships. In the following competitions, she secured third or second place in almost every competition. In 2018, she finished the PWA World Cup season as the runner-up in the slalom event after placing second in the legs in Ulsan, South Korea, and Yokosuka, Japan,[13][14] as well as ranking third in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.[6][15]

She is the holder of the Turkish windsurfing record with 45.74 knots (84.71 km/h) set during the 2012 International Windsurf Speed Record competition held in Lüderitz, Namibia. This is the second-best world record for women at all.[4]

One of Erdil's main sponsors is Red Bull since 2011.[3][4] She is nicknamed "Rüzgarin Kızı" (Daughter of the Wind) in her country.[1][5]

Achievements

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Year Competition Place Rank Ref
Overall
2019 PWA World Cup 4th [16]
2018 PWA World Cup   [6]
2017 PWA World Cup 4th [17]
2016 PWA World Cup   [3][7]
2015 PWA World Cup   [4][7]
Dream Cup   [7]
2014 PWA Indoor World Cup   [4]
2013 PWA World Cup 7th [7]
2012 PWA World Cup   [4][7]
2011 PWA World Cup 6th [18]
2010 PWA World Cup 9th [7]
2009 PWA World Cup 6th [7]
2008 PWA World Cup 7th [7]
Slalom
2018 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan   [7][13]
  Japan, Yokosuka   [7][14]
  Portugal, Viana do Castelo   [7][15]
2017 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan   [7][19]
  Japan, Yokosuka   [7]
  Denmark, Hvide Sande 4th [7]
2016 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan   [7]
  Denmark, Hvide Sande   [7]
NoveNove Aloha Classic   United States, Hawaii, Maui 13th [7]
IFCA Slalom World Championship   Croatia, Brač   [12]
2015 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan   [7]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 6th [7]
Dream Cup   France, New Caledonia, Nouméa   [7]
IFCA Slalom World Championship   Germany, Sylt   [11]
2014 PWA World Cup   Turkmenistan, Awaza   [20]
  Turkey, Alaçatı   [20]
  France, New Caledonia, Nouméa   [20]
PWA Indoor World Cup   Poland, Warsaw   [4][7]
2013 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan 7th [21]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 7th [21]
2012 PWA World Cup   Italy, Reggio Calabria   [10]
  South Korea, Ulsan 8th [10]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 4th [10]
2011 PWA World Cup   Vietnam, Mũi Né 5th [18]
  South Korea, Ulsan 9th [18]
  Aruba, Aruba 7th [18]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 4th [18]
2010 PWA World Cup   South Korea, Ulsan 6th [22]
  Spain, Costa Brava 8th [22]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 12th [22]
  France, Hyères 0 [22]
2009 PWA World Cup [  South Korea, Ulsan 5th [9]
  Spain, Costa Brava 9th [9]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 9th [9]
2008 PWA World Championship   Spain, Costa Brava 9th [9]
  Spain, Fuerteventura 13th [9]
  Turkey, Alaçatı 4th [3][9]
Freestyle
2018 PWA World Cup   Portugal, Viana do Castelo 6th [7]
Wave
2017 PWA World Cup   Germany, Sylt 7th [7]
Jump
2015 Dream Cup   France, New Caledonia, Nouméa 4th [7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lena Erdil bilinmeyenleri anlattı". Sözcü (in Turkish). 3 September 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Lena Erdil: Eine Weltmeisterin für Hamburg". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 15 June 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lena Aylin Erdil". Red Bull Windsurfing. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Meet Lena Erdil: Turkey's windsurfing champ". Daily Sabah. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Milli sörfçü Lena Erdil'in acı günü". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 9 August 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Rüzgar sörfü sporcumuz Lena Erdil Dünya ikincisi oldu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 21 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "PWA Athletes: Lena Aylin Erdil". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Lena Erdil Dominates Women's Fleet". IFCA. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2009". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2012". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Vincent Langer is IFCA Slalom World Champion 2015". IFCA. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Lena Erdil – 2016 IFCA Slalom World Champion". Starboard. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  13. ^ a b "PWA Slalom South Korea 2018 – Cousin & Iachino & Isaac win". Continent Seven. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  14. ^ a b "PWA Slalom World Cup Japan – Mortefon Family on the podium!". Windsurf. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  15. ^ a b Yates, Chris (20 June 2018). "Viana PWA World Cup". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  16. ^ "PWA WORLD WINDSURFING TOUR: Slalom Women".
  17. ^ "PWA World Tour Ranking Slalom Women 2017". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  18. ^ a b c d e "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2011". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  19. ^ "PWA World Cup Slalom Korea – Event Summary". Starboard. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  20. ^ a b c "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2014". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  21. ^ a b "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2013". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  22. ^ a b c d "PWA Overall Ranking Slalom Women 2010". PWA World Tıur. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
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