Australia has long established itself as a powerhouse in the sport of Sailing, and this year’s Olympic team looks set to continue that proud tradition.
Overview
Amongst the 13-person squad there are multiple medal chances, as well as debutants ready to make their mark. The action will take place over 11 days, with racing starting on July 25.
Sailing Team
Ones To Watch
With eight 470 world titles to his name, Mat Belcher is the most successful sailor in his class of all time. He won Olympic gold in 2012 (alongside Malcolm Page), and silver in 2016 (with current crew Will Ryan). He and Ryan are hoping to go one better than Rio, by winning gold in the 470 class at Tokyo.
Lisa Darmanin is another athlete who could make history at these Games, by becoming the first Australian woman to win two Olympic medals in sailing. Darmanin and skipper Jason Waterhouse are among favourites in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull competition.
Perth sailor Matt Wearn is also tipped to be among top contenders in the Laser class, after winning back-to-back Laser European Championships in 2018 and 19. He’s hoping to secure gold and continue a streak of success for Australia in this event (the nation took home gold in the class at both London and Rio).
The Format
There are ten Olympic sailing events and Australia has qualified boats in eight of the classes.
The sailing competition will take place over 11 days, from Sunday July 25 to Wednesday August 4. Medal races happen across the last five days of competition.
In what could be a good omen for the Aussie team, all Sailing events will be held at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour – the same venue where Australia’s first Olympic gold medal in sailing was won.
Sailing competition is run in different classes, referring to the type of boats. The classes used in the Olympic Games are known as ‘one design,’ meaning they are built to the same strict rules, so no competitor has a design advantage over another.
Points are awarded to the position where the boats finish. (1st place receives one point, 2nd receives two points and so on). Total scores determine the placings, with the lowest score in top position.
Classes sail 11 or 13 races in an Olympic regatta, depending on the class. The last race at an Olympic regatta is the Medal Race, where the top ten boats race and double points are applied to finishing positions.
Classes sail up to three races a day depending on the weather.
What's The Story?
Australia has an illustrious history in Olympic Sailing, first medalling in the sport at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.
More than half the team are debutants: Mara Stransky (Laser Radial), Will Phillips (49er), Sam Phillips (49er), Tess Lloyd (49erFX), Matt Wearn (Laser), Nia Jerwood (470) and Monique de Vries (470) are all making their Olympic debuts in Tokyo.
Olympic debutant Tess Lloyd is realising her Olympic dream almost a decade after serious injury left her unsure if she would ever sail again. Despite an on-water accident in 2012 (which required brain surgery after a three-week coma), Lloyd says her goal of representing Australia at an Olympic Games never wavered. She’s competing in the 49erFX class alongside Rio Olympian Jamie Ryan.
The Facts
- There are ten Sailing classes and Australia has qualified boats in eight of those divisions.
- Boats navigate a triangular course. The top ten boats compete in the final medal race, where double points are applied.
- Australia has an illustrious history in Sailing, claiming a total of 27 Olympic medals, 11 of those being gold.
- Sailing competition starts on July 25 and runs for eleven days. The medal races will be held on the last five days.
- Australia is a strong medal chance in at least three events.
