Congratulations to all of the medallists at the Rio 2016 ISAF Test Event, but also those who didn’t medal, and the mass of support crews and families behind all of the sailors. Olympic sailing is a tough road that is often underrated due to the public perception of our sport, and I have to say I am in awe of what our Olympic sailors give up every day of their lives to chase their dream to be the one team that each country can choose to compete. For the non-sailors, yes you read correctly, only one team can be selected from each country in each class.
As an Aussie it is particularly exciting to see how well Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin continue to do in the Nacra 17 class, I feel like I have followed them around the world in recent months, as well as Mat Belcher & Will Ryan and also Tom Burton who had a bronze in the Laser.
We may not have done well in the Ashes, but man can we sail!
It is also exciting as a former Olympic aspirate to follow the results, and to see how this cycle unfolds… Who knows, maybe I will get to watch on for myself in a year’s time…
Here is hoping!
To summarise here are the gold medallists, again the Aussies were the only country to take double gold…
- WDSailing; Jason Waterhouse & Lisa Darmanin (& Landy) AUS in the Nacra 17
- Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (& Victor Kovalenko) AUS in the Men’s 470
- Anne Haeger & Briana Provancha USA in the Women’s 470
- Pete Burling & Blair Tuke NZ in the 49er
- Martine Soffiatti Grael & Kahena Kunze BRA in the 49er FX
- Giles Scott GBR in the Finn
- Francesco Marrai ITA in the Laser
- Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt LTU in the Laser Radial
- Aichen Wang CHN in the Men’s RS:X
- Charline Picon FRA in the Women’s RS:X
For full results head here.
For the Aussies who want more, article and video from the Australian Sailing Team.
Good luck to all for the final year of this cycle, and I hope to see you at an ISAF event somewhere around the world, if not in Rio for the big event itself!
Sailor Girl x
