With two years remaining until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Australia’s Olympic sailing athletes are set to race on the very waters where Olympic medals will be decided. The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta kicks off this week at Belmont Shore, with the iQFOiL and Formula Kite fleets being the first to test their skills on this future Olympic racecourse.
Olympic silver medallist Grae Morris, who arrived in LA almost two weeks ago, has been training extensively on the Olympic waters. He noted that the conditions are providing a valuable insight into what athletes can expect in 2028. Morris stated, “I have been in LA for about two weeks now and finding it pretty fun. Dead flat water, some pretty consistent breeze, definitely pushing some good speeds, just having to do a bit of weed dodging, which is all a part of the game. Very much enjoying these conditions and feeling super strong.”
The regatta presents a unique opportunity for athletes to gain crucial experience at the LA2028 venue. Morris expressed his eagerness to race, saying, “I’m really looking forward to racing. Been doing a lot of training, so it’ll be good to put it into the real deal and get back on the start line. There are a few things that I have my mind on, and I’m mainly just focused on getting my head around the Olympic waters, getting a vibe for what it’s going to be like in two years’ time.”
Reflecting on the countdown to LA 2028 and the two years since winning Olympic silver in Paris, Morris shared, “To be honest, it feels like it’s been a lot longer than two years since the last Olympics, and I’m really just counting down the days to the next one and hoping it comes quicker and quicker because I’m kind of frothing that feeling again of being within the Olympics and really hunting those nerves. I’m looking forward to it all happening.”
Paris 2024 Olympian Breiana Whitehead also highlighted the importance of racing at the Olympic venue ahead of the Games. She remarked, “For sailing classes it’s so important to get an understanding of the Olympic venue and really have a good prediction on what the racing is going to be like. With the Kite Finals format coming down to one race deciding the results, it’s so important to have a really good picture of what racing is going to look like and be really prepared for that. It’s really great to race in this event where the Olympics will be in two years’ time, I can’t believe it’s so close!”
Having raced in Long Beach last year, Whitehead is keen to build on her experience during this valuable week of learnings. She noted, “I’ve been in Long Beach for about a week. It’s been a nice venue to go for a kite! Sunny, pretty warm and mostly consistent conditions. It’s going to be a good week of racing. Lots of the international fleet have made it over here, and I’m keen to get back into racing and kiting in the Olympic venue.”
Oscar Timm will also represent Australia in the Formula Kite men’s competition.
Following the iQFOiL and Formula Kite events, the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta will be held in the Port of Los Angeles, featuring the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and 470 fleets racing from 20–24 July, before the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 classes take to the course from 3–7 August.
Full list of entries can be found here
Australian Sailing Team (AST),Australian Sailing Squad (AS Squad) and State Sailing Performance Program (SSPP) entries at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta:
iQFOiL(36 entries)
Grae Morris (AST)
Rory Meehan (AS Squad)
Formula Kite – Women (24 entries)
Breiana Whitehead (AST)
Formula Kite – Men (36 entries)
Oscar Timm (SSPP)
For further information on the Australian Sailing Team, visit their website or follow them on social media.
Web: www.australiansailingteam.com.au
#aussailingteam #OlympicSailing #LA2028 #AustralianSailing #LongBeachRegatta
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
Want to see what we’ve written about Australian Sailing lately? Click here
