Rio crews set for final pre-Games showdown at Para World Championships
by Lindsey Bell 23 May 2016 17:56 BST
24-28 May 2016
John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thoma at the 2015 Para World Sailing Championships © Teri Dodds
Britain's Paralympic sailors face their final key contest ahead of the Rio Games when the Para World Sailing Championships get underway in the Netherlands on Tuesday (24 May).
With the British Sailing Team's qualification for the 2016 ParalympicsGB spots already complete across the three events, the three selected boats are intent on a successful final shakedown in Medemblik (24-28 May), while also taking the opportunity to assess any final campaign tweaks ahead of the Rio regatta in September.
The Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas claimed their third World Championship title at the 2015 edition in Melbourne, and Colchester's Stodel says this year's event provides some timely opportunities as they aim for a first Paralympic podium finish in Rio.
"It is such a good event in the run-up, it's the first event where we've got the same number of boats that we'll have at the Games," Stodel explained.
"It's just really good to see where we are, especially having our new coach on board. We've done two great events together, finishing on the podium both times, so this is really a good test for us in terms of the pressure that the Games will bring and see how everything holds together and what will still need to work on before the Games in training."
Robertson, Stodel and Thomas were crowned 2015 World Champions by a single point over the Australian crew in Melbourne last December, and Stodel is expecting an equally close battle this week.
"The Norwegians are sailing really strongly at the moment so they'll certainly be ones to watch, and the Aussie as always – especially as it's initially looking quite breezy. I'd expect us and those two boats to be up there in the breeze. Later in the week it's looking a bit lighter so we'll have a few more players joining in by that point.
"I think it will be a typical Sonar Worlds with everybody in and amongst the mix, the top five or six will be pretty close. It will be some good racing and I'm looking forward to having a good fight."
Craig Wood, Steve Palmer and Liam Cattermole will also be in action in the Sonar event, while five-time World Champions and Paralympic bronze medallists Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell will be the sole British crew in the two-person SKUD event.
"I'd like some sunshine, but apparently that's out of my control!" laughed Rickham amid the currently wet conditions in Medemblik, when asked what she sought from this World Championship week.
"We're looking for hopefully a solid follow-on from Garda," she explained, referring to her and Birrell's EUROSAF regatta victory over the Australian 2012 gold medallists and reigning World Champions at the Italian venue a week ago.
"That was the first time in a while that we'd beaten the Australians so obviously we'd like to follow that up and win the World Championship. But we've been working on various things over the winter and the last few months and we just need to make sure we're getting a bit more racing under our belt really. We've done a lot of training as there was quite a long time between any racing events, and so now we're trying to work on our racecraft, our technique, get our heads back into that game and see where the holes are in our racing ahead of Rio."
The Epsom sailor continued: "Everybody's here, some people are in their selections so it will be pretty feisty on some of the startlines I suspect. We're looking forward to it, looking forward to getting on the water and scrapping it out. We won our second Worlds in Medemblik so it's nice to be back here and we'll see what we can do this time.
"For us as a team it would be really positive [to be on top of the podium here] especially as there's a big gap between now and September. It would be good to be able to use that momentum and keep ourselves going through the months that we're going to be training on our own.
"If we walk away with a win here that would be great, but if we walk away at least knowing where the gains are to be made then would be quite a massive positive as well."
For Helena Lucas, the 2012 gold medallist in the 2.4mR class, the regatta is also a great chance to line up against her key rivals and make any final refinements ahead of her attempted title defence in Rio.
"Everybody's here and with their best kit so it's the perfect opportunity to check in and see how we're going and hopefully it'll be thumbs up on that one," she explained.
"It's the time to see what's still left that needs working on, but also hopefully get on the podium!
"To be on the podium would be a good start to show things are going in the right direction – obviously it would be pretty awesome to be on the top step. It looks like it's going to be a pretty tricky week weather wise from 20 knots to not a lot of wind, so we'll see what happens."
"We've worked pretty hard on all the kit and I'm pleased that that's all come together really well. The big thing now is to really focus on the racing, make sure my racecraft is up to scratch, my starting as well. Now it's about putting the icing on the cake," Lucas concluded.
Megan Pascoe, who won the 2.4mR Open World Championships earlier this year in Tasmania, will also be on the startline in the one-person event, with young British Sailing Team talents Will Street, John Brooker and Carol Dugdale also in 2.4mR action.
The Para World Sailing Championships runs from Tuesday 24 May until Saturday 28 May, with ten races scheduled.
Results will be at available at www.deltalloydregatta.org.