New Era Begins: Malcolm Page takes the helm of US Sailing Team

Malcolm Page (left) addresses US Sailing Team athletes for the first time as head of the program © Jen Edney / US Sailing

Malcolm Page, US Sailing's newly-appointed Chief of Olympic Sailing, on Wednesday addressed US Sailing Team athletes and other American Olympic hopefuls for the first time as head of the program.

Page's debut came during the team's first official training camp of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle, held at Miami Yacht Club in Florida. Speaking to a group of over eighty American sailors training across all ten Olympic classes, Page touched on the core philosophies that will guide his tenure.

"The potential that I see in this team and in this country is quite evident here today," said Page, a two-time Olympic Champion and seven-time World Champion. "Everywhere I've looked this morning, I've seen inquisitive faces, and have been impressed by the answers I've gotten when I've asked athletes and coaches about their plans and processes. The new system of youth development that was put in place two years ago, as well as the existing pool of national team talent, is impressive. We have a solid foundation to build on."

This week's US Sailing Team training camp is focused on performance development in Olympic classes, with several Rio 2016 Olympians and many other top American athletes present. Also participating are several younger sailors who have recently benefitted from US Sailing's Olympic Development Program (ODP). Page noted that he was encouraged by the improved ability of top American youth talent to transition seamlessly into Olympic-class equipment and train with national team athletes and coaches.

"I'm definitely looking forward to building a strong team culture, and I talked about that today with our sailors," said Page. "Only one boat [per nation] will get to compete at the Games, but everyone has to openly working together as a team to get there. That reality is hard to achieve, and it takes time to create, but in order to be successful that's where we want to get to. The top athletes on the best teams in the world work within their programs to fix each other's weaknesses and raise the collective bar."

What's Next

For many of the U.S. athletes assembled in Miami this week, the next test will come at the 2017 edition of Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella. Many of the world's best sailors will descend on Coconut Grove to compete in the 29th edition of the premier Olympic classes regatta in North America. Opening and Closing Ceremonies are open to the public, and will be held at the Coral Reef Yacht Club on Monday, January 23 and Sunday, January 29, respectively. The 2017 Edition of the event will also see the debut of the Fan Zone at Miami's Regatta Park, which will be broadcasting live action from Biscayne Bay on a large video display on Friday, January 27 through Sunday, January 29.