.jpg) Aleh in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joanna Ayela Aleh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Kesem Shukrun[2] Jox[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1986-05-15)15 May 1986 (age 38) Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 127 lb (58 kg)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sailing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class | 470 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | RNZYS,Takapuna Boating Club, Auckland, New Zealand[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Nathan Handley[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Joanna Ayela AlehMNZM (born 15 May 1986) is a New Zealand sailor.[1][4] She is a national champion, a former world champion, and an Olympic gold medallist.
Aleh isJewish,[5][6] and was born inAuckland, daughter ofIsraeli father Shuki Shukrun andBritish-born mother Daniella Aleh, a formerIsraeli soldier.[3][4] She lives in Auckland where she began a degree in Mechanical Engineering atUniversity of Auckland. When her sailing commitments increased, she moved toAUT to continue her engineering degree, and later began studying a Bachelor of Information Science atMassey University extramurally.[1] HerIsraeli name isKesem Shukrun, and she had aBat Mitzvah inBe'er Sheva.[2] She is a member ofBeth Shalom, aProgressive Jewish congregation in Auckland.[7]
In the2013 New Year Honours, Aleh was appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sailing.[8]
Just before her ninth birthday, Aleh was impressed by the New Zealand victory in the 1995America's Cup, and asked her father if she could learn to sail. She did a learn to sail course at the Ponsonby Cruising Club and with the help of her extended family a small sailing dinghy was purchased. She began her competitive career at the age of 11 in anOptimist.[1] Her first competition event was theAuckland Anniversary Regatta, forKohimarama YC, in 1998.[1]
She then made sailing history as the first female to win theTanner Cup since its inception in 1945. This highly contested interprovincial competition is sailed inP-class sailing dinghies.
She won the Auckland Optimist Girls' Championship in 2000, in Kohimarama YC.[1] Her first international competition was the 2002Cork Regatta, inKingston, Canada, in theByte Class, where she won both the Youth and Open divisions,[1] then moved onto the youth classes (under 18) and competed at twoISAF Youth World Championships, finishing with a silver medal in her final year.
Aleh then began the road to Beijing, competing in the Laser Radial class (women's single handed class) with a string of successful results including a World Cup event win, and a silver medal at the Pre-Olympic Test Event in Qingdao, China.
In 2007, she won the420 World Championships atTakapuna, sailing withOlivia "Polly" Powrie.[1]
She then competed at the2008 Summer Olympics inWomen's one-person dinghy, coming seventh.[3]
Aleh and her sailing partnerOliviaPolly Powrie won a silver medal in the 2010470 World Championships inThe Hague, Netherlands, and a bronze medal in the 470 World Championships in the2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships inPerth, Australia. She and Powrie finished fourth at the Barcelona World Championships in May 2012, won the women's 470 class in the World Cup inWeymouth, England, in June 2012, and are the current New Zealand 470 national champions.[4]
In August 2012 she and Powrie won the gold medal in the470 class at theOlympic Games inWeymouth and Portland, England.
In August 2013, a year after winning their Olympic gold medal, Aleh and Powrie won the world title at the 2013470 World Championships inLa Rochelle, France.[9]
Aleh twice achieved world Number 1, in the Women's Laser Radial on 5 March 2008, and the Women's 470 in 2013.[1] Her coach since 2009 has beenNathan Handley.[1]
She is a life member of the Kohimarama Yacht Club, Takapuna Boating Club and Yachting New Zealand, and is a current member of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Aleh trialled withTeam Brunel before the2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race but was not selected and instead joined consultancy firmErnst & Young.[10]
On 26 July 2024 Aleh was announced as a flag bearer for theNew Zealand team at the2024 Summer Olympics, along with Aaron Gate.[11]
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Flagbearer for New Zealand Paris 2024 With:Aaron Gate | Incumbent |
