In a recent interview with ‘Anything but Footy’, Ian Walker, Performance Director of British Sailing, forecast a five medal haul for Team GB sailing at Tokyo 2020.
Speaking on the Great British Bosses by AnythingbutFooty website podcast, which profiles the women and men responsible for sport in Great Britain, Walker forecast that at least five of the ten sailing teams could medal, although he would not be drawn on the type of medal or the particular events.
Walker admitted that he would be disapointed if five teams do not medal . . .
Five medals would be a really good performance, and he thought the team were capable of more, but on the day much would depend on the weather conditions.
He acknowledged the general opinion that the British Sailing Team was stronger in windier conditions than light.
If the Games was ten days of very light conditions, he would be happy with whatever we can get !
The 14 selected Team GB sailors are:
- Giles Scott: Finn (Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy)
- Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre: 470 Women (Women’s Two Person Dinghy)
- Luke Patience and Chris Grube: 470 Men (Men’s Two Person Dinghy)
- Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey: 49erFX (Women’s Skiff)
- Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell: 49er (Men’s Skiff)
- Alison Young: Laser Radial (Women’s One Person Dinghy)
- Emma Wilson: RS:X Women (Women’s Windsurfer)
- Tom Squires: RS:X Men (Men’s Windsurfer)
- John Gimson and Anna Burnet (Mixed Nacra 17)
The final selection – for the men’s Laser – is expected to be announced after the Laser World Championships in Australia next week.
Listen to the full Anything but Footy podcast here . . .
Ian Walker MBE is the Performance Director of the British Sailing Team, a two time Olympic silver medalist and round the world race winner.
He now oversees the Royal Yachting Association’s World Class Programme and talent pathways, as well as the broader remit of racing participation in all its forms in the UK.
Effectively he’s the man responsible for medals and more people taking up sailing!
He admits he’s concerned about the number of people taking to the water every weekend and the country and sport needs ‘healthy’ clubs, but he’s confident of the future of the sport in the Olympics with more windsurfing and kiteboarding set for Paris 2024.
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