Stu McNay and David Hughes earn selection for Tokyo 2020 Games
by Brittney Manning 24 Jun 2020 06:34 PDT
(Left to Right) David Hughes & Stu McNay © US Sailing Team
On Tuesday, June 23, US Sailing announced revisions to their Selection Procedures, which included the conclusion of the Men's 470 Olympic Trials based on the results of the first two selection events. As a result of these updates, Men's 470 athletes, Stu McNay (Providence, R.I) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.) have officially earned selection to the Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team and are nominated to Team USA.
Though they are no strangers to representing Team USA, the Rio 2016 Olympians are excited by the official nomination. "Being nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team is an honor that never gets old," said Hughes. "Representing the USA is bigger than any one of us. It's a duty and privilege that Stu and I don't take lightly."
As Olympic veterans, they have a long history of success in the Men's 470 class. Tokyo 2020 will be McNay and Hughes' fourth and second Games as athletes, respectively. Together, the team finished fourth overall in Rio and has stood on the podium in several major international events.
Their strong track record has given US Sailing's Head Coach, Luther Carpenter (Cypress, Texas), a lot of confidence in their roles on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. "Our Olympic team is fortunate to have Stu and Dave as veteran athletes and experienced leaders," Carpenter said.
"As Head Coach, I am extremely invested in and focused on helping these exceptional sailors prepare to deliver at the Tokyo Olympics. The combination of their racing successes, 470-specific knowledge, and avid desire to perform well over the entire week of the Olympic competition gives me confidence that they will be standing on the podium in Enoshima."
Their nomination comes at an exciting time as the US Sailing Team returns to on-the-water training after a long hold, due to COVID-19. "The virus has clearly changed our world and continues to change us in ways we don't yet realize. The Olympics is no exception, given the postponement of the Tokyo Games and everything that feeds into it," Hughes mentioned. "That said, we've also been handed an unexpected chance for reflection on what we do and why. It is up to us to meet the moment and retool our approach to Olympic success."
McNay and Hughes recently reunited in Marion, Mass., where they have since resumed on-the-water training and are looking forward to continuing their preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Games.