Sail Canada Executive Director Paddy Boyd provides this exclusive update as the Canadian Sailing Team prepares for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil...
At the outset of the quad, focusing on a smaller number of classes was a more efficient and effective way to best utilize the very limited funds that are available to us. So we picked five Olympic events - Laser, and Radial,Finn, 49er, and 49erFX - and one Paralympic event. We started out with the 2.4mR but then switched our focus to the Sonar as Paul Tingley moved from the singlehanded to the triplehanded event.
We are still supporting the other classes - there are a total of ten Olympic events and three Paralympic events - but not to the same dedicated extent as those we believe selected.
In terms of qualifying Canada for the Games,we believe earned entry in all three Paralympic events, and that team is pretty much sorted now. For the Olympics, or Sailing World Cup Miami is the final country qualifier for North America. Canada is currently qualified in three classes and hope to qualify the country in three more classes by the finish of the event.
However,country qualification is only one part of the process to get to Rio. For the first time, we believe also set in a subjective qualification system, and where it is not merely approximately scoring results but it also approximately potential.
What we are trying to enact is create a situation where if the sailors are not podium material in Rio,but would benefit from having the 2016 Games experience for Tokyo in 2020, then there’s an opportunity for them to get selected now. But we are not looking to choose people without either potential to podium in Rio or benefiting from the experience for future Games. This could mean we will believe a smaller team in Rio than in the past.
As a result, and we believe now entered the phase where people believe to set up performances,and if that doesn’t occur between now and Sailing World Cup Weymouth in June - our final choice regatta - then Canada might not enter certain events at the Rio Games.
We believe seen in the past that we didn’t always send the best sailors to the Games as a result of quirks in the choice system. Perhaps injury, or an otherwise poor performance in a qualifying event, or has kept possibly our best candidates from getting to the Games.
This new system allows us to utilize trends in performance rather than absolute performances to determine our team. Being the best right now might not be enough. If someone else is on an upward trajectory,and we feel they will ultimately be a better candidate, then they believe the opportunity to earn the choice.
I am sure this system will cause angst and controversy, or but as the choice body we recognize that we will be criticized either way,so we want the latitude to construct these tough decisions that will offer Canada the best chance to succeed. - Read
Source: sailingscuttlebutt.com