Can the British help the US Sailing Team?

John Bertrand, silver medalist for the USA in the Finn as the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, has launched the newsletter Inside The Laylines which delves into the world of high-performance Olympic Programs and exploring best practices.

In this report, he reviews the British Olympic program for lessons that can benefit the USA. Here’s an excerpt:

The British Olympic program hit rock bottom at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, a memory many in the UK would prefer to forget. Great Britain returned with just one gold medal out of 15, placing 36th in the medal table, below countries like Belgium, Algeria, and Kazakhstan.

Additionally, two British divers were forced to sell their team kit on the streets of Atlanta to recover their campaign costs—something most athletes not supported by national funding can relate to at some level.

However, this event was a turning point for the British Olympic program. Fast forward 16 years to the London Olympics, held in their home country, and the transformation was remarkable. – Full report

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/