Canadian Sailing Team leaves Tokyo with two top-10 finishes for the first time since 2012
Kingston, August 3, 2021 ÛÒ Canadian Sailor Tom Ramshaw took 7th place in the Finn Medal Race held last night at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to finish the competition in 10th position overall.
Taking part in his second Olympic Games, Ramshaw, from Toronto, improved on his result from Rio 2016 where he took the 21st spot.
ÛÏOverall, I’m super happy with 10th place after a really tough start to the regatta,Û said Ramshaw. ÛÏI was really honoured to represent Canada and being able to enjoy the Olympic experience again. It was a privilege and a great experience.Û
ÛÏToday, we had a light wind medal race and I had nothing to lose but rather a few positions to possibly gain, so I took a few more risks than I normally would have. However, it didn’t really pay off as the fleet got really compressed, the finish was really tight and I wasn’t able to move up.Û
By qualifying for the Medal Race and finishing 10th, Tom Ramshaw has come up with the best Canadian performance in the Finn class since Chris Cook finished 5th in 2008 in Beijing. It is also the fourth best Canadian result in this event since Terence Neilson won the bronze medal in Los Angeles in 1984.
Added to the Olympic program in 1952, a Finn event has been held at 17 different Games (excluding the Canadian boycott in 1980). The Tokyo event, however, was the last time Finn was held at the Games since it is not scheduled for Paris in 2024.
ÛÏThe Finn is out, so that’s obviously quite sad,Û expressed Ramshaw. ÛÏThat is no longer an option, but there is always the Laser and other classes that I would love to challenge myself to pursue, so we’ll see. We will reevaluate and I will take my time.Û
17th place finish for Jacob Saunders and Oliver Bone
In the MenÛªs 470 event, Jacob Saunders from Chester, N.S., and Oliver Bone from Montreal, QC, who are both taking part in their second Olympic Games, took the 17th and 14th spots in their last two preliminary races to finish 17th overall. Saunders, who took part in the 470 event in 2016, and Bone, who competed in 2008 in Beijing, therefore did not qualify for the Medal Race to be held tonight.
ÛÏWeÛªre very happy with the event,Û said Oliver Bone. ÛÏOf course, as competitors, we always want to do better but, with the late start to the campaign, we did everything we could and are pleased with the outcome. We had many moments mixing it up with the very best near the top of the fleet. Our 7th-place finish in the 5th race is both JacobÛªs and myself best race result at the Olympics in our respective campaigns. We are honoured to have been on this team with such amazing athletes and coaches.Û
Best Canadian performance since 2012
Canada closed the sailing competition with two top-10 results, which represents the best performance for the country since the 2012 Olympic Games.
Sarah Douglas achieved Canada’s best individual performance in women’s sailing in Olympic history by finishing in 6th position overall in Laser Radial in Tokyo, while Tom Ramshaw took the 10th spot in the Finn event.
In London nine years ago, Zachary Plavsic and Nikola Girke respectively finished 8th and 10th in RS:X, while in Rio, CanadaÛªs best result was 15th place.
On this yearÛªs Canadian Olympic Sailing Team, more than half of the athletes were taking part in their first-ever Olympic Games, including Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen, who took the 16th spot in 49er FX, Will Jones and Evan DePaul, 19th in 49er, as well as Sarah Douglas. Nikola Girke, who competed in her 5th Olympic Games, finished 23rd in RS:X.
ÛÏWe are all proud of our athletes and coaches who have dedicated themselves to push Canadian sailing forward,Û said Sail Canada High Performance Director Mike Milner. ÛÏWe look forward to continuing our improvements leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in three years as the future looks bright for Canadian sailing toward Paris!Û
More info is available through Sail Canada’s website at https://www.sailing.ca/.
About Sail Canada
Established in 1931, Sail Canada is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the country. Sail Canada is a leading international sailing nation, proud of its world class athletes, lifelong participants and inclusive culture. The organization and its members are committed to excellence by developing and training its leaders, athletes, sailors, instructors, coaches and officials. With the valued support from our partners, the Provincial Sailing Associations and our member clubs, schools, organizations and stakeholders, sailing is promoted in all its forms. By setting standards and delivering programs from home pond to podium for Canadians of all ages and abilities, from dinghies to keelboats, cruising to navigation, windsurfing to powerboating and accessible sailing, Sail Canada sets sail for all, sail to win and sail for life.
A sport in the Olympic program since the first Games in 1896, except in 1904, the pursuit of success in these Games is what fuels the focus of Sail Canada as Canadian athletes have so far achieved nine Olympic and five Paralympic medals.
