Future Olympic hopefuls chosen for US Sailing Development Team

by Dana Paxton on 21 Mar 2013
Some 38 gifted sailors have been named to the 2013 US Sailing Development Team (USSDT), the pathway team supported by the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program and US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC). The USSDT was created in 2007 to help young athletes, who have been identified as future Olympic prospects, acquire the skills necessary to launch successful campaigns and compete at the Olympic level.

'The list of sailors on the 2013 Development Team includes many talented sailors,' said Josh Adams, Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing (Essex, Mass.). 'Some are already training hard in Olympic class boats; and others are competing in Youth Worlds classes, excellent feeders into our system. All represent our future and are on a path for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.'




Sailors were selected in the Olympic Class events at the 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, and in the ISAF Youth World Championships events at the U.S. Youth Worlds Team Qualifier, both held in January.

The following athletes have been named to the 2013 Team:

470 (Men’s and Women’s Two Person Dinghy)
Nikki Medley (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
Lara Dallman-Weiss (Ham Lake, Minn.)
Wade Waddell* (Palm Beach, Fla.) – also I420 Boys
Henry Fernberger* (New York, N.Y.)

49er (Men's Two Person Dinghy High Performance)
Brad Funk (Miami, Fla.)
Erik Aakhus (Corona del Mar, Calif.)

49er FX (Women's Two Person Dinghy High Performance)
Kristen Lane (Tiburon, Calif.)
Molly Carapiet (Belvedere, Calif.)
Christine Neville (Oakland, Calif.) – also Women’s 470
Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.)

Finn (Men's One Person Dinghy Heavy)
Eric Lidecis (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

Laser (One Person Dinghy)
Greg Martinez (Houston, Texas)

Laser Radial (One Person Dinghy)
Claire Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.)
Addison Hackstaff* (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Gary Prieto (Southold, N.Y.)
Haddon Hughes* (Houston, Texas)
Dana Rohde (Richmond Hill, Ga.)

RS:X Women (Windsurfer)
Marion Lepert* ** (Belmont, Calif.)
Margot Samson (Belleair, Fla.)
Charlotte Samson (Belleair, Fla.)

RS:X Men (Windsurfer)
Christopher Waldo (Clearwater, Fla.)
Maximo Nores* (Miami, Fla.)
Jonathan Rudich (Clearwater, Fla.)

I420 Girls (Two Person Dinghy)
Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (Darien, Conn.)
Haley Fox (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Casey Klingler* (Larchmont, N.Y.)
Fiona Walsh* (Rye, N.Y.)

I420 Boys (Two Person Dinghy)
Reinier Eenkema van Dijk (Rye, N.Y.)
Spencer McDonough (Greenwich, Conn.)

29er (Two Person Skiff)
Quinn Wilson (Ojai, Calif.)
Dane Wilson (Ojai, Calif.)
Nic Muller (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
Kai Friesecke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Mulithull
Ravi Parent* (Bradenton, Fla.)
Sam Armington* (Sarasota, Fla.)
Dave Hein (Rocky River, Ohio/Miami, Fla.)
Taylor Reiss (Panama City, Fla.)
Sarah Lihan (New York, N.Y.) – also Women’s 470

*Denotes member of 2013 U.S. Youth Worlds Team
** Denotes member of 2013 US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider

In addition to receiving elite-level coaching, guidance and mentoring, members of the USSDT will benefit from joint training with US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes and other top sailors from across the United States. Support provided to these athletes also includes shipping and logistical assistance, as well as access to the Performance Enhancement Team of physical therapists, trainers and nutritionists.

The US Sailing Development Team is led by Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing Josh Adams (Essex, Mass.), Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Ben Richardson (Gloucester, Mass.), High Performance Director Charlie McKee (Coronado, Calif.), Communications Director Dana Paxton (Newport, R.I.), Commercial Manager Katie Smith (Newport, R.I.), Olympic Manager Meredith Muller (Newport, R.I.) and Olympic Coordinator Will Ricketson (Newport, R.I.). In addition to McKee, the team is coached by Olympic Coach Romain Bonnaud (Miami, Fla.), Senior Olympic Coach Luther Carpenter (La Porte, Texas), and Olympic Coach Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.).

For a list of the athletes, their hometowns, yacht club affiliations and schools, please visit the USSDT page on the US Sailing website.

For more information on selection: Click here