Sixty Three Nations confirmed for London 2012 Olympic Sailing competition
by ISAF 20 Jun 2012 20:54 BST
27 July - 12 August 2012
Sixty three nations will be represented at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition after the unused qualification places were assigned.
Tripartite places, which are aimed at the world’s smallest National Olympic Committees, were assigned by the International Olympic Committee to the Cook Islands and St Lucia in the Laser Radial and Monaco and Montenegro in the Laser.
Helema Williams (COK), Beth Lygoe (LCA), Damien Desprat (MON) and Milvoj Dukic (MNE) will up take up places on the starting line in their respective classes at London 2012.
Two further places were available with the ISAF Qualification System stating that any unused places were prioritised to Africa and Oceania with any remaining places made available to Asia, America and Europe.
Therefore Egypt were issued a place in the Men’s RS:X and Kyrgyzstan, as one of the best performing new Asian nations at the 2012 Laser Worlds in Boltenhagen, Germany were allocated an unused quota place in the Laser.
Ahmed Habash (EGY) and Ilia Ignatev (KGZ) will join the four tripartite place athletes in Weymouth and Portland.
The reallocation of places now brings the Laser confirmed quota up to 49 boats with the Laser Radial on 41.
ISAF Technical Delegate Alastair Fox said, “We have seen first-hand the progression of the sailors who have been awarded tripartite as well as unused quota places and we look forward to seeing them at London 2012.
“At Beijing 2008 we had 400 sailors from 62 nations and at London 2012 we will see 380 sailors representing 63 nations. This shows the spread of our sport that has occurred in the last four years which will make for an exciting global Olympic Sailing Competition.”
Find out more on the ISAF Qualification System