Pan American Games - US Sailing's OSC nominates team

by Dana Paxton on 19 Apr 2011 Pan American Games - US Sailing's Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) has nominated 16 American sailors to compete at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from Oct. 14-30.

The sailing competition of the 2011 PanAmerican Games will feature nine events, including four Olympic classes - Laser(Men), Laser Radial (Women) and RS:X (Men and Women) - and five non-Olympic, open classes - Hobie 16, J/24, Lightning, Snipe and Sunfish.

US Sailing’s nominees to the U.S. Pan American Games 2011 Team are as follows:

•Hobie 16 (Multihull Open) – Greg Thomas (San Diego, Calif.) and John Williams(Long Beach, Calif.)
•J/24 (Keelboat Open) – John Mollicone (Newport, R.I.), Geoffrey Becker(Arnold, Md.), Daniel Rabin (Charlestown, Mass.) and George Paul Abdullah (Jacksonville, Fla.)
•Laser (Single-handed Dinghy Men) – Clay Johnson (Toms River, N.J.)
•Laser Radial (Single-handed Dinghy Women) – Paige Railey (Clearwater,Fla.)
•Lightning (Multi-crewed Dinghy Open) – Jody Lutz (Brick, N.J.), Jay Lutz(Houston, Texas) and Derek Gauger (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
•RS:X Men (Windsurfer Men) – Bob Willis (Chicago, Ill.)
•RS:X Women (Windsurfer Women) – Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.)
•Snipe (Double-handed Dinghy Open) - Augie Diaz (Miami, Fla.) and Kathleen Tocke(Miami, Fla.)
•Sunfish (Single-handed Dinghy Open) – Paul Foerster (Heath, Texas)

These athletes qualified for the US Sailing Pan American Games 2011 Team after winning a select regatta previously determined as a qualifying event for each class. The OSC then submitted its team to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) for inclusion on the U.S. Pan American Games 2011 Team. Athletes must be U.S. citizens to qualify for the team, members of US SAILING and the classes they sail in.

'Our 2011 team represents the best in each one design class,' said Head Coach Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.), who also is US Sailing’s Olympic Coach.'Many have won national and world championships and the all know what it’s like to compete at the highest level of our sport. They have what it takes to bring medals back from Mexico.'

In addition to Spina, the following people will join the team in Puerto Vallarta: Team Coach Greg Wilkinson (Rockport,Mass.) Team Manager Dave Johnson (Pawtucket, R.I.) and Team Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer, Dr. Scott Weiss (New York, N.Y.).

A complete overview of the athlete selection procedures and individual class websites for the Pan American Games 2011 is available here.

An estimated 5,900 athletes from 42 countries are expected to compete in 36 sports at the Pan American Games 2011, which will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico from Oct.13-29. The sailing competition will be held at the Vallarta Yacht Club in the Paradise Village Marina of Nuevo Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta. The Pan American Games are held every four years, historically one year before the Olympic Games. The first Pan American Games were held in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pan American Games website