Shai Kakon

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Shai Kakon
שי קקון

| image =

| caption =

| full_name =

| nationality = Israeli

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|11|05|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Hadera, Israel

| death_date =

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| country = {{ISR}}

| sport = Sailing

| event =

| coach= Erez Eliyahu

| club = Sdot Yam Sailing Club

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{ISR}} }}

}}

Shai Kakon (also Shay Kakon; {{Langx|he|שי קקון}}; born 5 November 2002) is an Israeli Olympic sailor.{{Cite web|title=Athletes - Shay KAKON {{!}} Tokyo 2020 Olympics|url=https://www.eurosport.com/olympics/athletes/profile/kakon-shay-1425523/|access-date=2021-08-01|publisher=Eurosport |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Sailing KAKON Shay - Tokyo 2020 Olympics|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/sailing/athlete-profile-n1425523-kakon-shay.htm|access-date=2021-08-01|publisher=olympics.com|language=en-us}} She was the 2017 European Laser 4.7 Youth U16 Girl Champion, and World silver medalist. She was then the 2019 Youth Sailing World Championship Laser Radial Girls silver medalist. She competed for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She won the 2022 European U21 Championship. Kakon represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in sailing in Sailing/Laser Radial in Marseille, France, in which she came in 24th.

Early life

Kakon was born and lives in Hadera, Israel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-sports.org/shai-kakon-sailing-spf524747.html|title=Shai Kakon (Sailing): Prize list and results|website=the-sports.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.davar1.co.il/380141/|title=שי קקון היא אלופת אירופה עד גיל 21 בדגם הלייזר רדיאל: "האמנתי שאשיג מדליה"|first=ליאור|last=ברטל|date=May 17, 2022|website=דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל}}

Sailing career

Her club is the Sdot Yam Sailing Club in Israel.{{Cite web|url=https://manage2sail.com/pl-PL/event/kiwo2024/#!/entries?classId=41241a61-0084-4b34-a487-570ec4fa1482|title=Kieler Woche 2024|website=manage2sail.com}} As a child, Kakon began sailing with the Optimist model.{{Cite web|url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sport/other-sports/article/15524783|title=שי קקון וגל צוקרמן ייצגו את ישראל בשייט במשחקים האולימפים בפריז|date=April 20, 2024|website=Israel HaYom}} Her coach is Erez Eliyahu.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympicsil.co.il/%d7%9c%d7%9c%d7%90-%d7%a7%d7%98%d7%92%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%94/%d7%a9%d7%99-%d7%a7%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%9f-%d7%94%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a2%d7%9c-%d7%a9%d7%93%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%99%d7%98%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%99%d7%96%d7%a8-%d7%a8%d7%93%d7%99/|title=שי קקון (הפועל שדות ים) שייטת הלייזר רדיאל, הבטיחה את הקווטה לישראל למשחקים האולימפיים בטוקיו – הוועד האולימפי}}

=2017–20; U16 European Girl champion=

At the 2017 Laser 4.7 Youth World Championships, Kakon won the U16 silver medal, in Nieuwpoort, Belgium.{{Cite web|url=https://eurilca.org/2017-laser-4-7-youth-worlds-european-sailors-prizes/|title=2017 Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds - All prizes for European sailors|first=Agustín|last=Argüelles|date=July 24, 2017|work=Eurilca}} She won the gold medal in the 2017 European Laser 4.7 Youth Championships, becoming the new U16 European Girl champion, in Los Alcázares, Spain.{{Cite web|url=https://eurilca.org/cattarozzi-citak-new-european-laser-47-champions/|title=Cattarozzi and Citak are new 2017 European Laser 4.7 champions|first=Agustín|last=Argüelles|date=April 22, 2017|work=Eurilca}}

At the 2018 Laser Radial (ILCA 6) Youth European Championships Women's U17, Kakon won the silver medal, in Balatonfoldvar, Hungary.{{Cite web|url=https://eurilca.org/2018-radial-youth-european-championships-final-results/|title=2018 Radial Youth European Championships - Final results|first=Agustín|last=Argüelles|date=April 14, 2018|work=Eurilca}}{{Cite web|url=https://spartacus.hu/en/hirek/olasz-gyozelemmel-zarult-a-laser-radial-ifjusagi-europa-bajnoksag/|title=Matilda Talluri and Guido Gallinaro win European Championship |website=Spartacus Vitorlás Egylet|date=April 14, 2018}}

In the 2019 Youth Sailing World Championship – Laser Radial Girls, she won a bronze medal in Gdynia, Poland.{{Cite web|url=https://eurilca.org/2019-youth-sailing-world-championships-final-results/|title=Chiara Benini and Yalcin Citak, new 2019 Youth Sailing World champions|first=Agustín|last=Argüelles|date=July 20, 2019|work=Eurilca}}

=2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics=

Kakon represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in August 2021, at 19 years of age, competing in Laser Radial. She placed 30th overall, and therefore missed the final round. She placed second in the 9th race, and fifth in the 10th race.{{Cite web |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |date=30 July 2021 |title=2 Israeli athletes advance to final rounds in Tokyo Olympics|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-israeli-athletes-advance-to-final-rounds-in-tokyo-olympics/ |access-date=2021-08-01|website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2020/athletes/_/athlete/63487|title=Summer Olympics Bio - Shai Kakon|website=ESPN}}

=2022–present; Paris Olympics=

In 2022 she became the European U21 Champion, winning the 2022 ILCA U21 European Championships in Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans, France, ahead of Marilena Makri of Cyprus in a race with 61 competitors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sailweb.co.uk/2022/04/21/ilca-european-u21-championship-final-results/|title=ILCA European U21 Championship – Final Results|date=April 21, 2022|work=SailWeb}}[https://www.duyc.de/wp-content/uploads/Pia-Conradi-Ergebnisse-ILCA-6-Results-%E2%80%93-EurILCA-Under-21-Europeans.pdf "ILCA 6 Results; 2022 EurILCA Under 21 European Championships & Open European Trophy,"] Eurilca. At the 2022 Youth World Championships in Gdynia, Poland, Kakon won the bronze medal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.giornaledellavela.com/2022/09/29/two-silvers-and-a-gold-its-a-blue-party-at-the-youth-world-championships-in-gdynia/?lang=en|title=Two silvers and a gold: it's a blue party at the Youth World Championships in Gdynia|date=September 29, 2022|work=Giornale della Vela }}

In February 2024 at the 2024 ILCA 6 Women European Championships & Open European Trophy/PARIS2024 Olympic qualification in Athens, Greece, Kakon came in 16th.{{Cite web|url=https://eurilca.eu/documents/303/results/ilca6w.html|title=Sailwave results for 2024 ILCA6 Women European Championships&Open European Trophy /Olympic qualification for PARIS2024 at Alimos Marina, Athens, Greece, Nautical Club of Kalamaki 2024|work=Eurilca|date=February 23, 2024}} She won the fifth race.

Kakon represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in sailing in Sailing/Laser Radial, in Marseille, France, in which she came in 24th.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sailing.org/2021/04/24/esp-ned-in-the-ilca-7-and-isr-por-in-the-ilca-6-qualify-for-tokyo-2020/|title=ESP & NED in the ILCA 7 and ISR & POR in the ILCA 6 qualify for Tokyo 2020|website=World Sailing|date=April 24, 2021}}