The recent decision of the World Sailing on the changes of the Olympic sailing program-2024, sparked a flood of responses, sometimes quite dramatic, in the pages of foreign sailing of the press – both print and electronic.
The other day the decision of the international Federation in an interview www.yachtracing.life commented sport Director of the British Royal yachting Association Ian Walker. People in the world he sails known: was twice winner of the Olympic games, was the coach of the crew that won the Olympic gold medal and then as a skipper three participated in krugosvetka Volvo Ocean Race.
A number of statements Walker seemed interesting. So, he, in particular, said in an interview:
– Offered for the Games in 2024 sailing program reflects the real – and significant – changes that occur in our sport. But because of the changes, many heart ached: the number of types of sailing programs has remained the same – ten, and so,in place of the old, familiar subjects have come to the new. And if for kiteboarding, many reacted more or less calm, the impending appearance in the program of a cruising keel boat-two, besides the hybrid, has caused a storm.
In fact, from my point of view, potentially the program for the Games in 2024 is really riveting. We will have singles and twos, we will have the Scythians, a few mixed disciplines, offshore race, kiteboarding and Windsurfing.
If one of the main purposes of Olympic competition to demonstrate to the world the amazing diversity of our sport, the best program can be! From this point of view, the result, in my opinion, really positive. Another thing is that we in Britain would like to retain in the program “Finn”, because in this discipline, we got gold the last five Olympic games. And are going just as well speak in the future.
On the other hand, we should not forget that people in the last hundred years have become taller and weigh more. Thus in the sailing program of the Games with the disappearance of the “Finn” will be no more discipline for big men. But why? Is this true?
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This is not the only question asked by Ian Walker. A lot of them to the leadership of the international Federation has accumulated and we have in the Yacht Russia, and, sure, our readers.
So, are pleased to announce that an agreement was reached: the President of the World Sailing Kim Andersen will answer the questions of our magazine. And, hopefully, will explain much of what all of us yet remains unclear.
