Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

World Sailing's bid to reinstate Para Sailing for LA28 met with mass support from global community

by World Sailing 24 Dec 2022 22:58 PST
World Sailing's bid to reinstate Para Sailing for LA28 met with mass support from global community © World Sailing / Sailing Energy

Since World Sailing launched its campaign to reinstate sailing into the Paralympic Games for LA28, the overriding message has been that sailing is a sport for all and is life-changing.

Sailing - present at every Paralympic Games since Atlanta 1996 to Rio 2016 - is also a global family, and this is why the #BacktheBid campaign to reinstate sailing into the Paralympic Games, has been met with universal support from the international sailing community.

Bouwe Bekking, round the world sailing legend, eight-time competitor in The Ocean Race, and multiple world champion from The Netherlands, said, "Sailing is a sport for everyone and is very social. In the last five years there has been a 30% increase in the number of participants in international Para Sailing events, it is clear that it is super popular. So, give Para Sailors another chance to get to the pinnacle of our sport: the Paralympic Games!"

"All together we must support the Para sport movement in sailing and bring this beautiful sport back to the highest possible level, at the Paralympic Games! The athletes, the technicians, the federations and all the young Para Sailors who have the dream of the Paralympic Games deserve it!!" - Francesca Clapcich, two-time Olympian, World Champion, Round the World Sailor.

Xu Lijia, Laser Radial gold medallist at London 2012 Olympics, who was born with a hearing impairment, explained the role sailing had in her life.

She said, "Sailing gave me a goal to strive for, and it was the Olympics that made me realise the value of my life. Therefore, I firmly believe that sailing at the Paralympic Games will help a large number of people with disabilities around the world to find unlimited freedom and fun."

The importance of visible role models was highlighted by Max Sirena, Team Director and Skipper of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Italian Challenger for the 37th America's Cup.

He said, "Reintegrating sailing at the Paralympic Games, in my opinion, is a duty, both towards those who have contributed to writing important pages of this sport, and to the thousands of disabled girls and boys from all over the world who, seeing the flag of their country waving on the podium think: I can do it too."

"Para Sailing offers people across the entire classification spectrum the opportunity to compete at the highest levels. It is a sport where gender can be made irrelevant through equipment selection, where men and women can compete on a level playing field. Para Sailing can and does enable disabled people to live fuller lives on and off the water." - Jo Aleh, Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist, Olympic Coach, Chair of World Sailing Athletes Commission.

Quentin Delapierre, an experienced Olympic and offshore sailor, and current driver of the France SailGP team, said, "For me the Olympic Games were really a dream, I wanted to get a medal. This goal really guided me in all my training before the games, to hurt myself, to go all the way and I learned a lot from it. The Paralympic Games must rediscover or re-trust their values and reintegrate sailing."

The Switzerland SailGP Team has proudly supported the #BacktheBid message throughout Season 3, and Sebastien Schneiter, two-time Olympian and Driver of the team, lent his support to the campaign.

He said, "Para Sailing is one of the most inclusive and diverse sports there is, and it offers so much to so many people. Having a pathway from grassroots through to the very top is one of the best ways to continue to grow and develop it. It's so important to have sailing represented at the Paralympic Games."

A decision on whether sailing will return in Los Angeles is expected by the end of January 2023, and World Sailing CEO David Graham has already reaffirmed support for the sport even if the application is unsuccessful.

In the meantime, with the support of international sailors across all disciplines, sailing has come together to champion #BacktheBid and shown that regardless of the outcome, the sport has a bright future.

Related Articles

World Sailing's inaugural Impact Report
Charting a new course for a sustainable future in sport World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport of sailing, today released its first Impact Report, a comprehensive overview of the federation's significant progress in environmental sustainability and social contribution. Posted on 24 Jul
Tristan triumphs to win 2nd eSailing World title
Tristan Péron became eSailing's first double world champion after qualifying for five finals The 2025 eSailing World Championship has concluded with a dramatic final live from Gdynia as part of the Gdynia Sailing Days festival. Posted on 20 Jul
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return. Posted on 18 Jul
Nominations open for World Sailing Awards 2025
Presentation to be held at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on 5th November Many of the sport's biggest names will be in attendance at the World Sailing Awards 2025, held on Wednesday 5 November at a gala ceremony at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Posted on 16 Jul
World Sailing announces split venues for LA28
The boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 the boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port. Posted on 30 Jun
World Sailing launches the World Sailing Academy
A new online learning platform for the global sailing community World Sailing officially launched the World Sailing Academy, an innovative new online learning platform designed to provide comprehensive educational resources and training to sailors, coaches, officials, administrators, and the global sailing community. Posted on 17 Jun
Summer Youth Olympic Games equipment confirmed
Dakar 2026 will feature 2 sailing events in the Techno293 World Sailing is pleased to announce the selection of Techno293 as the equipment used in competition at the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, being held from 31 October to 13 November 2026. Posted on 29 May
Steering the Course kicks off to #AccelerateAction
World Sailing's global women's sailing festival gets under way soon The 2025 edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing's global women's sailing festival, gets under way on 23 May with a week-long focus on #AccelerateAction in support of this year's International Women's Day theme. Posted on 22 May
NYYC hosts 2025 World Sailing Mid-Year Meeting
Board conducted a series of productive strategic meetings The gathering brought the World Sailing Board and Council together in person at the Club's historic 44th Street Clubhouse in Manhattan—an iconic venue designed by Whitney Warren, renowned architect of Grand Central Station. Posted on 19 May
World Sailing Inclusion Championships preview
Event will bring together an expected 215 sailors from around the world, to Oman The Sultanate of Oman has been chosen to host the first edition of the new World Sailing Inclusion Championships. Posted on 14 May
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsSea Sure 2025RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTER