Mara Stransky will be first out on the water in the Women’s One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial class. She’ll be among the largest fleet in Tokyo, with 44-boats confirmed to take the start line. Two races will be held today, with eight to follow ahead of the Medal Race on Sunday August 1. 

Born into a sailing family, Stransky has lived on a boat since the age of just four months. She started sailing dinghies at 16-years-old. Among her competition highlights was an incredible podium finish at the 2017 Worlds. 

Also debuting for Australia is Perth sailor Matt Wearn. Competing in the Men’s One Person Dinghy -Laser class, Wearn is tipped to be among the contenders battling for a podium finish. He comes into the event in great form after winning back-to-back Laser European Championships in 2018 and ’19. 

But the field is wide open in this division and competition is fierce, with at least 10 athletes who will be disappointed if they don’t medal.  

Australia has enjoyed great success in the Laser event at the past two Olympic Games, with Tom Slingsby cruising to gold at London 2012, and Tom Burton also clinching gold at Rio 2016.  

All up there are ten Olympic Sailing events and Australia has qualified boats in eight of the classes. The competition will take place over 11 days, with medal races to happen across the last five days of competition. 

Australia has an illustrious history in Sailing, claiming a total of 27 Olympic medals, 11 of those being gold.