USA takes Silver medal at 2016 Laser Radial World Championship

by Will Ricketson on 21 Apr 2016 2016 Laser Radial World Championship - The US Sailing Team Sperry’s Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) has won a silver medal at the 2016 Laser Radial World Championship, held on Banderas Bay at Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. This is Railey’s fifth career Worlds podium finish, having won Gold in 2005, and bronze in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Railey has earned the distinction of earning more medals at the Women’s Laser Radial Worlds than any athlete in history.

“I’m very proud of my results,” said Railey, a Rolex World Sailor of the Year and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “I showed consistency, and didn’t do anything drastic. This was a huge step in my career. I am looking forward to the (Olympic) Games.”

Railey sailed a steady series, and none of her races were worse than ninth place. “Paige sailed a very consistent and top-quality regatta, and competed hard throughout,” said Mark Littlejohn (Auckland, New Zealand), Railey’s coach. “She fought for gold right until the last leg of the last race. She just missed out.”

Having guaranteed at least a silver medal heading into the final race, Railey battled with Great Britain’s Alison Young for the top of the podium. Young’s first place finish in the deciding race, combined with Railey’s sixth, clinched gold for the British sailor by a single point. Nevertheless, Railey looks to be at close to her best heading into the summer, and as August’s Olympic regatta draws closer. “Paige is in a great place to win a medal in Rio,” said Littlejohn, who has guided athletes to multiple medals in his career.

Railey qualified for her second U.S. Olympic Sailing Team in March, and will represent Team USA at Rio 2016. A training accident nearly derailed her career in the summer of 2014, but she quickly bounced back with a string of top finishes. Railey finished fourth at the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event, and won her second career gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

The 2016 Radial Worlds was also a strong event for the national team as a whole, as Railey’s teammate and training partner Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) enjoyed a career-best finish of sixth overall. It is Reineke’s third top-10 Worlds result since 2012. Reineke finished second in the Rio 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Selection Series.

Final Results: Laser Radial World Championship 2016

• 1st overall, Alison Young, Great Britain
• 2nd overall, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), USA, US Sailing Team Sperry
• 3rd overall, Anne-Marie Random, Denmark,
• 4th overall, Marit Bouwmeester, The Netherlands
• 5th overall, Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, Lithuania
• 6th overall, Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), USA, US Sailing Team Sperry