Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Aussie Golden Girls Nominated for ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year

[source: Regatta News]

Congratulations to Elise RECHICHI & Tessa PARKINSON who have been nominated for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award (Female).

The 2008 nominees are:
Female

Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB & Pippa WILSON (GBR)
Claire LEROY (FRA)
Elise RECHICHI & Tessa PARKINSON (AUS)
Alessandra SENSINI (ITA)
Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA)

Male
Ben AINSLIE (GBR)
Tom ASHLEY (NZL)
Francis JOYON (FRA)
Vincenzo ONORATO (ITA)
Ian WILLIAMS (GBR)

Elise RECHICHI & Tessa PARKINSON (AUS)

Well known faces from the ISAF Youth Worlds, this young team showed their intent at the 2008 470 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, where they picked up their first bronze medal of the year. Hitting the European graded event circuit, they posted some mixed results before once again making the results count where it mattered with another bronze at the ISAF Grade C1 European Championships in Italy.

But it wasn't bronze that this team was after when they got to Qingdao for the Olympic Sailing Competition. Gold was the colour they dreamed of and their win was convincing. One of just four crews who won a gold medal with no previous Olympic experience, RECHICHI and PARKINSON went into their Medal Race with an 18 point lead over their nearest rivals, the three time World Champions from the Netherlands.

They sailed a tactical Medal Race to ensure the Dutch team could not steal their gold medal away and crossed the finish line to secure an Australian 470 double for coach Victor KOVALENKO. At just 21 years old RECHICHI and PARKINSON were the youngest gold medallists at the Olympic Sailing Competition and look set for a bright future.

24 - Sail Melbourne International Regatta, Melbourne, AUS - ISAF Grade 1 - Jan 2008
3 - 470 World Championships, Melbourne, AUS - ISAF Grade W - Jan 2008
15 - Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères, FRA - ISAF Grade 1 - Apr 2008
9 - Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, NED - ISAF Grade 1 - May 2008
3 - 470 European Championships, Riva del Garda, ITA - ISAF Grade C1 - Jun 2008
1 - 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, Qingdao, CHN - ISAF Grade W - Aug 2008

ISAF World Sailing Rankings position at the end of the nomination period (3 September 2008) - # 6

International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
www.sailing.org/worldsailor

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