Josh Adams named Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing
by Jake Fish, US Sailing 21 Aug 2012 09:27 PDT
20 August 2012
US Sailing has named Josh Adams as the Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing. This new full-time position officially begins September 4, 2012.
US Sailing President Gary Jobson said, "After months of research and an extensive interview process, we are confident that Josh Adams is right individual to take the U.S. Olympic Sailing program to the next level. His experience as a top competitor at the Olympic level and his all around involvement with Olympic sailing makes him the ideal candidate for this position. As a coach, journalist, and fundraiser, Josh is well connected to sailors through his various work experiences in the sailing industry. His primary focus will be the recruitment and development of young sailors with Olympic aspirations."
Adams comes to US Sailing following a seven-year post as publisher of SAIL magazine. He has an extensive background in Olympic sailing. Since 2005, he has been an executive committee member of US Sailing's Olympic Sailing Committee. As an elite competitor and member of the U.S. Sailing Team in 1995-96, he finished second at the 1996 Olympic Trials in the 470.
"The challenge ahead for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program is significant," said Adams. "So is the opportunity. As it stands now, 40 percent of the classes in the Rio 2016 quadrennium will be new. We need to lead our US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider to be performance-centric, to adapt quickly to the new boats, and to build depth in the established classes. At the same time, we need to commit ourselves to a sustainable youth development strategy. Building a program around performance and youth development is a goal that I look forward to leading."
The standout college sailor was a three-time ICSA All-American at Tufts University, where he graduated from in 1994. Adams led his team to two ICSA Team Racing National Championships. He is also a Team Racing World Champion. Adams was a sailor and coach for New York Yacht Club's Young America's Cup Challenge in 2000.
Adams is currently leading an independent panel responsible for reviewing the Olympic program, while being involved in the transition of leadership with current Olympic Sailing Chairman Dean Brenner. He attended the sailing events at the 2012 Olympic Games and will also be present at the upcoming Paralympics in Weymouth, England on August 29 - September 6.
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org