Lijia Xu to team up with young Japanese sailors for Japan's national match racing championship
by Toshihiko Murase, JYMA 5 Oct 11:27 PDT
23-25 October 2026
Lijia “Lily” Xu sailing © Lijia Xu
Olympic champion Lijia "Lily" Xu to team up with young Japanese sailors for Japan's national match racing championship
First overseas Olympic gold-medal-winning skipper in approximately 30 years—and the first female Olympic champion—to compete in a match racing event in Japan
London 2012 Olympic gold medalist Lijia "Lily" Xu will compete in Japan's national match racing championship this October, forming a new team with talented young Japanese sailors.
Lily submitted a request to participate in the event, which was accepted by the Japan Yacht Match-Race Association under the event's invitation framework. She will travel to Japan on her own as skipper and join her locally assembled crew to take on seven Japanese-led teams in a full eight-team field.
The championship takes place at Mikawa Mito Marina on Mikawa Bay, Aichi, from 23-25 October 2026, with racing scheduled for 24-25 October in organizer-supplied J/24-type keelboats.
Her participation marks a significant moment for Japanese match racing. According to the Japan Yacht Match-Race Association, it will be the first appearance by an overseas Olympic gold medalist as skipper in a Japanese match racing event in approximately three decades, and the first by a female Olympic gold medalist.
During the 1990s, Japan's Grade 1 events attracted Olympic champions including Russell Coutts, Jochen Schümann and Thierry Peponnet, alongside America's Cup skippers such as Peter Gilmour. That era of Grade 1 competition in Japan subsequently came to an end.
This year's championship has applied for World Sailing Grade 3 status, the highest grade currently represented among match racing events held in Japan. Final grading and the corresponding ranking points will be confirmed following the post-event review.
For Lily, who also won bronze at Beijing 2008 and received the 2012 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year award, the challenge will include building a new team. Sharing tactical decisions, coordinating maneuvers and establishing clear communication will be central to the crew's performance.
The Japanese opposition combines international experience, established match racing success and emerging talent. Kohei Ichikawa helmed Gekko teams to third place at both the 2024 and 2025 J/24 World Championships, while defending national champion Takuya Kato returns after winning the 2025 title. The field also includes Shunsuke Murakoshi, Kento Hioki, Aoi Makino, Yasuharu Watanabe and Shuta Gohara.
Lily's participation illustrates another attraction of match racing: international competitors can become teammates. With boats supplied by organizers, visiting skippers can form teams with local sailors, subject to each event's entry and crew requirements. Japanese sailors can pursue the same opportunities overseas.
For the young sailors racing with Lily, this is a chance to contribute their skills alongside an Olympic champion. For Lily, it offers new racing partnerships and a direct connection with Japan's sailing community.
The organizers hope the championship will encourage more sailors to try match racing, more volunteers to support it, and more clubs and marinas to consider hosting events.
On Mikawa Bay, the contest will be for a national title. The connections made along the way could reach much further.
Event information
Japan national match racing championship
23-25 October 2026
Racing scheduled for 24-25 October
Mikawa Mito Marina, Toyokawa, Aichi, Japan
Eight invited teams; organizer-supplied J/24-type keelboats
World Sailing Grade 3 applied for
Joint organizers: Japan Yacht Match-Race Association and Mikawa Mito Marina
Official event information: www.matchrace.gr.jp/news/2032