Key hire for US Olympic Sailing Program

Rosie Chapman has been hired by US Sailing to fill the position of Olympic Development Program (ODP) Manager. She will be focused on supporting the development of athletes in the Olympic disciplines as well as developing and mentoring the next generation of high-performance coaches. The position was vacated a year ago by Lenando Spina.

“Developing future talent is the foundation of every performance program,” said said Marcus Lynch, US Sailing Team High Performance Director. “Rosie brings a wealth of experience to the team and will provide a steady hand on the tiller for our future Olympians. The space between youth sailing and Olympic Performance is full of potential that requires structure, process, and consistency in delivery in order to realize.”

Chapman brings a wealth of experience to the role and is well known to many athletes and coaches in the youth and Olympic space. Originally from the UK, she competed with the British sailing team in both the ILCA 6 and 470 but transitioned to coaching at a young age due to injuries.

She quickly found her passion for helping others achieve their goals and potential. Chapman has already had a significant impact in the US, coaching the Youth Worlds team to back-to-back gold medals in 2017 and 2018, and winning National Coach of the year in 2018.

Chapman has a depth of experience coaching and managing, having done so at programs in Canada and New Zealand. She has transitioned youth sailors to both Olympic campaigns and the Olympics themselves. When in New Zealand, Chapman led and implemented the Women’s Sailing Strategy alongside coaching and developing the ILCA 6 squad.

In her new role with US Sailing, Chapman will help athletes bridge the gap between performance in the youth classes and performance in the full Olympic disciplines. The Olympic Development Program (ODP) supports athletes training and competing in the Olympic disciplines as they aspire to make the US Sailing Team.

Chapman will hit the ground running, coaching athletes at the ILCA6 Under-21 Worlds this summer as well as training camps and regattas with the US Youth Team. Ultimately, Chapman will lead the ODP training program for the upcoming LA2028 Quad, providing aspiring Olympians with structure and support in the lead up to the home Olympic Games.

Chapman will work closely with coaches in the high performance space, facilitating coach development cohorts and sharing best practices from the international level, the USOPC, and other sports in the Olympic movement. Increasing opportunity for female coaches in high performance sailing will be the cornerstone of this effort, via recruitment, retention, education, and mentorship.

“It is more important than ever to promote and uplift female coaches in the high-performance space,” said Sally Barkow, Head of Operations, US Olympic Sailing. “Adding Rosie to the team, as well as investing in a pathway for female coaches to succeed in the highest realms of our sport, will help the US Sailing Team meet the needs of our athletes and the sport.

“I am really excited about this next chapter,” added Chapman. “I see so much potential, dedication, and talent in the US. I am looking forward to being able to impact and help athletes transition from the youth space into the Olympic.

“With LA28 around the corner we have a great opportunity as a country to produce world class athletes for a home Olympics. I look forward to working with fellow coaches and staff to develop coach development opportunities and recognize this is where we can have a massive impact.”

Source: US Sailing