Five sailors added to Team GB for Rio 2016<\/p>\n
Written by RYA | 08 March 2016<\/p>\n
Windsurfer Nick Dempsey makes his fifth Olympics, with first-time call-ups for Saxton-Groves and Dobson-Ainsworth<\/p>\n
With 150 days to go to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the British Olympic Association (BOA) can today announce five additional sailors from three classes selected to compete for Team GB this summer.<\/p>\n
Nick Dempsey is set to become a five-time Olympian in Rio after the London 2012 silver medallist and Athens 2004 bronze medallist was selected for the RS:X Men\u2019s windsurfing class. If the double World Champion wins gold in Rio, he will become the most successful men\u2019s Olympic windsurfer in history.<\/p>\n
Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth, who finished fifth at the 2015 World Championships, will make their Olympic debuts in the 49erFX \u2013 a new event for Rio \u2013 with 2015 European Champions Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves following suit in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull event, which also sees its first Olympic Games outing this year.<\/p>\n
The five sailors join those initially selected in September. However, from those selected in September, the BOA, in conjunction with the Royal Yachting Association, has made the difficult decision to deselect the 470 Men\u2019s pairing of Luke Patience and Elliot Willis. Due to Elliot\u2019s ongoing treatment for bowel cancer, as a two person crew, they are unfortunately unable to follow the combined training programme required to maximise their chances of success in Rio.<\/p>\n
Selection trials in the 470 Men\u2019s event will therefore continue, with the trials in the 49er class also ongoing.<\/p>\n
Team GB\u2019s sailing squad for Rio 2016:<\/p>\n
Giles Scott: Finn<\/p>\n
Nick Thompson: Laser<\/p>\n
Alison Young: Laser Radial<\/p>\n
Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark: 470 Women<\/p>\n
Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth: 49erFX<\/p>\n
Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves: Nacra 17<\/p>\n
Bryony Shaw: RS:X Women<\/p>\n
Nick Dempsey: RS:X Men<\/p>\n
British sailors have established a proud tradition of excellence in Olympic competition, having won 55 medals \u2013 including 26 golds \u2013 since sailing made its debut at Paris 1900 with Team GB topping the overall Olympic sailing medal table.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s selection takes Team GB total athlete delegation to 21 from three sports; sailing (11 athletes), shooting (six) and canoe slalom (four).<\/p>\n
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to welcome five new athletes to Team GB and see our number of selected sailors grow further.<\/p>\n
\u201cRio 2016 will be a special occasion for each of these sailors, with four experiencing an Olympic Games for the very first time while Nick Dempsey will be joining a select group of athletes who have achieved the accolade of competing for Team GB at five consecutive Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it\u2019s a great day for them, it\u2019s hugely disappointing for both Luke and Elliot, and everyone at the BOA wishes Elliot the very best in his recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Park OBE, RYA Olympic Manager and Team GB Sailing Team Leader said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic to be naming some new first time Olympians to be joining the team already selected, and fantastic that Nick Dempsey will have the opportunity to try and complete his medal set at his fifth Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe circumstances surrounding the deselection of Luke and Elliot are obviously disappointing for everyone. However, as a team we knew we would be set a number of challenges in this journey to Rio 2016 and this is just one we have to deal with along the road. Hopefully this doesn\u2019t mark the end of Elliot\u2019s Olympic journey and we look forward to seeing him back in the boat soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick Dempsey, 35, from Norwich and now lives in Weymouth said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty special. I have been doing this for a long time and I just feel incredibly proud and very lucky to represent my country again at my fifth Olympic Games. I never thought I would make it this far and so am very honoured. It feels like quite an achievement, not a lot does but this does.<\/p>\n
“I do this because I want to win an Olympic gold medal for myself and I want to achieve what I know I can achieve and that is to win so I\u2019m going to give it a go, stick at it and hopefully do what I know I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlotte Dobson, 29, born in Glasgow and now lives in Weymouth said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely incredible, it has been a long time coming. I have done two cycles as the bridesmaid in a boat on my own, and this time it\u2019s so amazing to be the bride eventually. It\u2019s just really cool to have done it with Soph in a team, it almost makes it feel a little bit more special being able to share it with somebody.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see how once people are selected they slightly change almost and I think when I woke up this morning it didn\u2019t feel so much of a personal challenge any more. It\u2019s a personal ambition to win a gold medal but it is more of an honour, a lot of people are behind you in the British Team and it\u2019s for Queen and country. It feels like a lot of responsibility, for all the people that haven\u2019t been selected and people have got selected in the past, to make them proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
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