Read previewA British athlete won an Olympic gold medal by eating more food and exercising less to gain 22 pounds. AdvertisementAldridge won the first ever gold medal in women's Olympic kitefoiling. Owing to the stigma around weight gain, it may seem counterintuitive that Olympians, at the peak of human performance, should put on weight to be successful. But kitesurfing isn't the only sport where athletes gain weight to be more competitive. Related storiesWhen she first started kitefoiling, Aldridge consumed a lot of beer and ice cream, she wrote on Instagram earlier this year.

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Persons: —, Ellie Aldridge, Aldridge, Alex Livesey, kitefoiling, Lauriane Nolot, kitesurfing, Harry Lightfoot, Tia, Clair Toomey, Orr, Clive Mason, I'm, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Telegraph, British Sailing Team, Olympic Locations: kitefoiling