Team GB stars retire from Olympic sailing

Several Olympic sailing stars have announced their retirement from Olympic campaigning, including Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Hannah Mills, Giles Scott and Stuart Bithell.

London 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience, three-time Olympian Alison Young, two-timers Charlotte Dobson and Chris Grube and Rio 2016 Team GB athlete Ben Saxton have also decided to step back.

This follows an extraordinary performance from Team GB’s sailors at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, at which the team secured the top spot on the sailing medal table for the fifth time in six Games with three golds, a silver and a bronze.

Mills made history earlier this year when she became the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time.

“All good things must come to an end, and as such these incredible athletes have taken the decision to step back from Olympic campaigning,” says Mark Robinson, the RYA’s Olympic performance manager.

“These individuals have made such a huge impact on our sport, their achievements speak for themselves, and they’ve inspired countless youngsters to follow in their footsteps. I feel very proud to have led a team full of such great athletes, and those retiring will be sorely missed.”

Despite a host of stars departing, Robinson says Team GB remains well-prepared for Paris 2024. “Lots of our Tokyo team are going again, plus there are a whole host of talented sailors who’ve been waiting patiently in the wings to get their time to shine. The number one goal [at Paris] is defending our title of the world’s most successful Olympic sailing team.”

Mills says, “Sadly my Olympic campaigning is coming to an end – the 470 is going mixed for Paris 2024 and for me, in terms of my career, this is the perfect time to step away and explore other options.

“I’ll be working on my sustainability campaign, which I’m really passionate about while exploring some exciting opportunities in women’s sailing. It was a difficult decision and yet also an easy one. What made it hard was just how incredible the Olympic Games is – it’s like nothing else on Earth. As an athlete who’s dreamed of going to the Games my whole life it’s something that is quite difficult to walk away from. But in terms of where I’m at in life and what I want to do next it was a bit easier.”

With three Olympics under her belt, Alison Young is Britain’s greatest ever ILCA 6 (formerly Laser Radial) sailor. Young says: “I actually decided to retire while I was in Tokyo. I was watching Emma Wilson win her bronze medal in the RS:X and I realised that it wasn’t something I wanted or needed anymore. It was quite an easy decision in the end. When I reflect back on my time with the British Sailing Team I just feel really fortunate to have had the chance to work with the teams of people that I have, people who are world-class at what they do and who are more importantly just fantastic individuals. For that I’m very grateful.

“I’m now stepping out into the rest of the world and seeing what that’s like. My fondest memories from the Games centre around the spirit and energy the sailing team has, especially out in Tokyo. I finished tenth in Tokyo and I just felt really content with my performance. It was a really nice place to end on. What’s next? Well, with my sailing it’s always been about trying to get the best out of myself and so I’m now trying to do that in a different domain. I’m exploring coaching to see if I can help others get the best out of themselves.”

Focus now turns to Paris 2024, just three years away. Gold medal winners Dylan Fletcher (49er) and Eilidh McIntyre (women’s 470) will both continue campaigning for the next Olympics with new crews, yet to be decided.

Nacra 17 runners up John Gimson and Anna Burnet are also continuing their bid for gold alongside Emma Wilson, bronze medallist in the women’s RS:X, windsurfer Tom Squires and 49erFX crew Saskia Tidey. A whole host of new faces will also be looking to make their mark in a bid to win selection for Team GB.

Meanwhile Nick Dempsey, Britain’s greatest ever Olympic windsurfer with two silvers and a bronze to his name, is back in the British Sailing Team as coach to the men’s iQFOiL, the new foiling windsurfer class that will debut in Paris. Dempsey retired from competition after scooping silver at Rio 2016, and went on to coach Japan’s Makoto Tomizawa for the Tokyo 2020 cycle.