The Women’s Laser Radial sailing competition opened in Rio de Janeiro yesterday with Southampton graduate Alison Young joining current student Lily Xu in the mix for medals.
Alison, who graduated in 2008 with a First Class Honours degree in Civil Engineering, placed fifth in London four years ago. In April this year, she raced to the Laser Radial World title in Mexico – the first British woman to ever win Worlds gold in a solo Olympic dinghy event – which could put her in good stead when the medals are confirmed in Rio on Monday, 15 August.
“Winning the Worlds was a good confidence boost to take forwards,” Alison enthused. “To perform under pressure in that environment and to keep it together all the way through a seven-day regatta was good. I was a little bit shocked after I finished my last race, it was like, ‘I’ve won the Worlds, how did that happen?!’ I’ve never stood on the Worlds podium at all before so that it was in the Olympic year is great.
“If I can execute well in Rio and keep the processes and routines in place, I’ve got as good a chance as anyone,” she concluded.
Tomorrow, SUSSED will preview the fortunes of Southampton graduate and current world champion Giles Scott who opened his quest for Olympic gold yesterday in the Finn class of boat in Rio.