Irish sailing’s Olympics campaign laid bare by new report

Irish Sailing has welcomed a report into its cycle from the Rio to Tokyo Olympic Games that outlines missed targets for athletes and also deals with the confusion in relation to an illegal harness that resulted in disqualification from two races in Japan.

The review, which is expected to be published this week, also concludes that the High Performance Programme (HPP) has been successful and has created the basis for a positive future for the sport.

Commissioned by the board of Irish Sailing and conducted by high-performance coach Gary Keegan, who Andy Farrell brought into the Irish rugby squad last autumn to work on mental skills, the review says Irish sailing did not hit set targets.

“It was felt that Tokyo was a disappointing Olympic Games which did not deliver on the high expectations post-Rio, as outlined,” it says.

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In an absolute sense it is a failure, but by only looking at the failure is not understanding the process of how the sport works

“Fewer boats qualified than the expected targets and the performance of the boats which did qualify was disappointing. However, the performance of the 49er crew was a highlight, given that they were first-time Olympians and suffered a disqualification for two races.

"Their performance augurs well for the future. Sailing is one of the top three funded sports in Ireland and the expectation was to have four boats qualifying, two in medal contention and one Olympic medal, but that wasn't achieved."

Measurement infraction

A harness measurement infraction led to the disqualification of 49er sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove from two races. The pair were penalised after one of their trapeze harnesses, which the athletes use to hang out by wires from the side of the boat, was found to have exceeded the permitted weight limit. As a result of a two-race disqualification, which wiped out a second-place finish and a sixth-place finish for the debutantes, the pair fell out of contention.

“The measurement infraction experienced by the 49er crew was avoidable,” the report says. “Both the coaches and athletes highlighted that the cause was due to a harness that had deteriorated ie a wearing down of the hydrophobic layer of the harness leading it to absorb more water and therefore increasing its weight.”

“The harness was checked too far out from the regatta,” the report adds. “There was no protocol in place to identify red flags in the system and appropriate action to be taken and also no checks and balances protocol.”

Harnesses were checked and weighed at a test event in 2019. However, management only became aware of this after the infraction incident in Tokyo.

“We welcome the report. It’s very in-depth. To be honest it is in the spirit of high performance,” said James O’Callaghan, Irish Sailing high-performance director.

“It’s looking at what we did well and what we could do better. I think that while some people might find it hard reading, I think the athletes and the coaches and particularly my leadership team, we welcome it because it gives us a clear path forward but yet it doesn’t gloss over what happened.

You have got to take those low moments and they define you – is it the end of the road or do you bounce back?

“The programme has always been very ambitious. But that’s why we are in the game. When you hold yourself up as a medal-contending sport, the downside is if you don’t [achieve medals] it can be deemed as a failure.

“In an absolute sense it is a failure, but by only looking at the failure is not understanding the process of how the sport works. By aiming high and having the lofty goals you are going to achieve a higher standard than if you had said top 10.”

Undue burden

The limitations set by Covid compliance, the report states, placed an undue burden on coaching staff and overall there was a lack of on-site support compared with better-resourced competitors in areas of psychology and physio support, boat repairs etc.

“Finn Lynch didn’t qualify [for Tokyo]. Having gone to Rio he would have been a favourite to qualify,” said O’Callaghan. “He had a breakthrough season in 2019 and didn’t perform when it mattered. That’s a key moment in an athlete’s career and a key moment in a performance programme.

“But Finn has gone and gotten the best-ever result [for Ireland] in a World Championships. He won Laser silver at the worlds. You have got to take those low moments and they define you – is it the end of the road or do you bounce back? But it doesn’t take away from the disappointment of not making Tokyo.”

The report concludes by saying that Irish Sailing should fully utilise the insights and lessons gleaned from the review to move towards Paris, LA and beyond with a renewed sense of purpose, responsibility, standards and ownership.