Gold and Silver for US at Summer World University Games

by Marlieke de Lange Eaton on 22 Aug 2005 Andrew Campbell (San Diego, Calif./Georgetown University/Laser) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, Va./Old Dominion University/Laser Radial) sailed in with the gold and silver medal respectively on Saturday, the final day of the Sailing competition at the 2005 Summer World University Games.

A strong second place finish in race eleven and a solid sixth in race twelve pushed Campbell past home country favorite Turkey's Kemal Mutlubas for the gold medal.

‘It's great (to have the gold medal),’ said Campbell. ‘I told myself at the beginning of the event that if I could just be patient and sail my own regatta, just do as well as I can every day and take it one race at a time that things would work out. I've done enough sailing and enough training that it should work out right. As it turned out, it was just about perfect. I sailed the most consistent regatta of anybody and that obviously paid off so I was pretty happy about it. Today was tough. I went out and had a great first race and made it really difficult for Kemal (Muslubas of Turkey) to come back in the last one. He (Muslubas) put up a really good fight and he almost did it himself. It was a really tight day, but I was glad to be able to put some serious points on him in the first race and be able to put it out of reach.’

Tunnicliffe who entered the day in second place needing to finish ahead of Poland's Katarzyna Szotynska was unable to do so, finishing eighth and fourth to Szotynska's sixth and first.

‘I'm pretty excited about how the overall event went,’ said Tunnicliffe. ‘My goal was to get a medal and to come away with the silver is pretty exciting. The Polish girl (Szotynska) that beat me sailed an excellent regatta. She is really fast, so it was good to be right there with her the whole regatta. I'm pretty excited with how it went. It is a good step forward going toward the Olympics (Beijing in 2008).’

Brendan Fahey (Kingston, Wash./University of Washington) finished 12th in the overall regatta standings. He posted a 15th and 13th today.

‘I finished in the top half, which is what I wanted to do,’ said Fahey. ‘There are a lot of good sailors here, obviously and I was happy to end up 12th. Of course you always want to do better, but I'm pretty pleased. It (the World University Games) was an awesome experience. Izmir is great.’

In her first international competition, Jenny Gervais (Charleston, S.C./St. Mary's College of Maryland) finished in 15th place. She sailed in today with two 16th place finishes. On her World University Games experience Gervais commented, ‘It was a very good experience. It was an eye-opener for sure, but I had a good time and I learned a lot. I know what to expect next time around. The Games experience is almost indescribable. It is awesome to be here in something set up like the Olympics. It really gives me something to work for.’

With half of his team winning medals, USA Head Coach and Team Leader Gary Bodie (Hampton, Va.) was very pleased with the performance of the U.S. at the 2005 Summer World University Games,

‘It is a great feeling,’ said Bodie. ‘We sailed really well today and came through with a gold and a silver. It was a fabulous ending for us. It (WUGs) is a great stepping stone for sure. Andrew has a gold medal in the Youth Worlds to match this gold medal at the World University Games. Both Andrew and Anna are really making strides toward the ultimate goal (making the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team). Their experience here is invaluable.’

For more information about the World University Games Team - Sailing, please visit the Team's website at www.ussailing.org/olympics/2005WUG/team.htm. For more information about the World University Games, please visit the event website at http://www.universiadeizmir.org/en.

The team will march in the Closing Ceremony of the 2005 Summer World University Games on Sunday, August 21 at Ataturk Stadium before departing for the United States.