Rio 2016 - Women Olympic sailors lose selection appeals DownUnder

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 31 May 2016 Two New Zealand female single handed sailors and two Australian female skiff crews have lost their Selection Appeals in Hearings either side of the Tasman.

The two New Zealand sailors were parties to a Mediation Hearing with Yachting New Zealand on Monday night, and will not be included in the New Zealand team for the Rio Olympic Regatta.

Both sailors qualified New Zealand at the 2014 ISAF Sailing Worlds in Santander, in the Womens Windsurfer (RS:X) and the Womens Singlehander (Laser Radial). New Zealand also qualified in the Men's Windsurfer (RS:X), but after a public spat with Yachting New Zealand that sailor withdrew, and took a coaching contract with another Olympic team.

New Zealand qualified in all ten classes in Santander in 2014, one of just three countries to do so. The other Great Britain and France have confirmed they will compete in all ten events in Rio, New Zealand will be now represented in just seven.

For the first time since the introduction of the Windsurfer in the 1984 Olympics, New Zealand will not be represented in the event, which has been New Zealand's most successful sailing discipline winning six medals from seven Olympiads.

On her Facebook page, Sara Winther, who placed 11th in both the 2014 and 2016 World Championships in the Laser Radial class commented.

'Late last night I received the decision that my appeal to the NZ Sports Tribunal regarding my non-selection for the Rio Olympic Games was not successful. Obviously, this is very difficult to come to terms with as my dream of an Olympic medal in 2016 is now over. However, I respect the appeal process and appreciate that I was able to put my case forward and have it considered.'

'My journey over the last four years since the 2012 Olympic Games has presented me with many challenges, but also provided me with great opportunities and I have enjoyed striving for excellence and getting the best out of myself in the sport that I love. I have been proud to represent New Zealand as a sailor and have always given my best.'

'Where I go from here I don’t know. I need some time to take this decision onboard and to reflect and think about what’s next. My love for sailing remains, my passion for competing is still there and my belief in my ability to compete for New Zealand at the highest level internationally is unchanged.'

New Zealand will be represented in two of four women events in Rio and one mixed team event.

What happens heading into the 2020 Olympics in Japan is still up in the air. The International Olympic Committee has signaled that gender equality will be required in terms of participation and events. That will require the dropping of the Finn class unless a second Womens Singlehander is introduced.

There are no members of the 2016 AON Youth Development Squad run by Yachting New Zealand in the Women's Laser Radial or Men's or Women's RS:X. Further, New Zealand has finished outside the top ten in all three disciplines in the 2014 and 2015 ISAF Youth Worlds and didn't send any sailors in the three categories to the 2012 or 2013 Youth Worlds.

Given the likely sailing event schedule for Japan in 2020, New Zealand looks set to be represented, at best in only six of nine possible sailing events. That assumes that all the current team continues for the next Olympic cycle and that the Windsurfer remains as a Mens and Womens Olympic event.

Australian Women to head for CAS?
In Australia, with similar selection policies to New Zealand, two Womens HP Skiff (49erFX) crews have lost their Appeals over non-selection, meaning that country too, subject to further Appeal, will only be represented in seven of the ten Olympic disciplines.

The Australian situation was outlined on a social media on a page dedicated to getting an Australian 49erFX crew to the Olympics:

'Early this morning, Australian time, the Yachting Australia Appeals Board rejected the Appeals by two Australian 49er FX crews about their non-selection to the Rio Olympics. Having qualified a spot for the Games the Australians were eligible to send a team but the Yachting Australia selection panel chose not to send a team. Two of the three teams appealed the decision, but overnight both Appeals were denied.

'The last avenue of appeal open to both teams is to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) , although there is a ticking clock in that the Australian Olympic Committee must notify World Sailing by June 1st if they are to send a representative. If not, the position will go to the next country on the WS list of qualified countries. It is not know if either team will appeal to CAS.'

The places for which countries qualify but do not take up because of internal selection policies are re-allocated World Sailing according to a prescribed formula to the next qualified country from the second round of qualification which was the 2015 World Championships.