How the US Olympic sailing team is taking shape for Paris 2024
The first round of U.S. Sailing's Olympic Trials wrapped after Miami tested 61 athletes on a range of conditions from big wind and swell to light, breezy days
Sailing
The Olympic year kicked off with a bang for U.S. Sailing’s Olympic hopefuls.
From 6 - 13 January, 61 Americans went head-to-head, vying for a spot on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team.
Sailing at the Paris 2024 Games will take place in the iconic city of Marseille, the oldest city in France.
The eight-day regatta in the waters of Miami, Florida, tested athletes on a range of conditions from big waves and powerful gusts to the lightly breezy mornings that closed out the regatta.
Through Olympic Qualification regattas, the United States has already secured quotas for six of the ten classes, with those being: 49erFX, 49er, ILCA 6, Women’s iQFOiL, Nacra 17, Women’s Formula Kite Class.
For the remaining four classes (Mixed 470, Men’s Formula Kite Class, Men’s iQFOiL, ILCA 7 classes), the gold medalists are selected to represent the United States, but their participation in Paris is still contingent on obtaining a quota through an Olympic Qualifiers later this year.
A second round of the trials is set for 15 - 24 February and will determine athlete selection for ILCA 6 and 7 classes.
U.S. Olympic Trial winners
Women’s iQFOiL gold medalist Dominique Stater and 49er team Ian Barrows and Hans Henken have secured their names on Team USA’s Paris 2024 roster and will be athletes to watch in Marseille.
Stater clinched gold and the qualification spot on her home waters, having built momentum over the eight days of competition. At the 2023 Pan American Games, she secured Team USA’s IQFOiL class quota, having taken silver at the continental championships.
Barrows and Henken navigated tough competition, but ultimately came out on top after a tie-breaker on day six.
“It could have been anyone’s regatta any day, so we’re really honored to have won in the end,” Barrows said to U.S. Sailing after his win with partner Henken.
Gold medalists in the remaining classes have been selected to represent the United States, but still need to obtain quotas for Team USA in their respective classes.
In the tightest competition of the regatta, Stuart McNay and Lara Dallman-Weiss came out on top to take the Mixed 470 gold and secure their place as Team USA’s representatives. McNay is a four-time Olympian and Dallman-Weiss represented the U.S. at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
For the pair to earn an official spot ar Paris 2024, they will have to finish as the top North American boat in their class at the World Championships in Palma de Mallorca from 24 February – 3 March.
Noah Lyons bounced between first and second in the men’s iQFOiL, but pulled ahead in the final race to take the gold. To represent the U.S. this summer, he will have to obtain a quota for his nation at the Last Chance Regatta in Hyéres, France in the final week of April.
Taking the gold for the Men’s Formula Kite was Markus Edegran, who also needs to obtain a quota through the Last Chance Regatta.
USA's Dominique Stater races at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing test event in Marseille, France.
U.S. Sailing’s Olympic History
Having dominated in 1932, 1948, 1952, 1968 and 1984, it’s been four decades since the United States sailing team topped the medal charts at the Olympic Games. However, they still trail only Great Britain for the winningest team in history.
The U.S. will also be looking to medal in Paris after failing to make a podium in Tokyo.
Caleb Paine is the last American sailor to medal. He took the bronze in the one person dinghy (heavyweight) men at the Rio 2016 Games.