Paris 2024 Olympics: Australian sailing team look to cool new events for medal glory

Just one Australian is in a medal ranking position heading into the Olympic sailing regatta in Marseille but the cool kids of the sport could upset the numbers game.

ILCA 7 men’s world champion Matt Wearn is our only top three world ranked sailor in France.

Just one Australian is in a medal position on the world rankings heading into the Olympic sailing regatta but the cool kids of the sport could be poised to upset the numbers game and save Australian pride..

Final world rankings for the Paris Olympic sailing in Marseille which starts late Sunday Australian time have only defending ILCA 7 champion Matt Wearn ranked in the top four turning the Australian team - double gold medallists in Tokyo - into rank outsiders at the Olympics on paper at least.

But within the Australian team there is a confident buzz and a belief another two or so medals could be added to the haul by a number of Olympic debutants.

While Tokyo gold medallist Wearn takes the No. 1 ranking into the event as befits his status as a two-time world champion, the only other Australian sailors even ranked in the top four are Formula kite surfer Breiana Whitehead and fellow debutant, IQFOiL windsurfer racer Grae Morris.

The pair - racing the coolest, fastest and newest crafts at the Olympic - are both ranked No. 4 in the world to put them in the Marseille medal mix.

Australian sailors Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown are ranked No. 10 in the world. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

There is just one other crew ranked in the top 10 in the least experienced pairing of Nacra 17 youngsters Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown in 10th place.

Rankings, however, do not tell the full story.

Two other Australian prospects are actually the worst ranked sailors for an assortment of reasons, including injuries, decisions to bypass regattas for training and in-house selection trials.

London Olympics silver medallist Olivia Price and debutant Evie Haseldine have a ranking of 19th in the 49erFX class but won a world championship bronze in 2023.

Matt Wearn is our leading Olympic gold medal hope

ILCA 6 single-handed sailor Zoe Thomson is ranked 21st in her single-handed class but this is a less than accurate portrayal of her potential.

In the lead up to the Olympics the Perth sailor focused on a tough in-house battle to gain the single-handed selection for Australia.

But a series of recent results, including a silver medal in a major lead-up event in Spain, has her name in the hat for a medal.

Other sailors who could thrive and surprise if delivered their favoured conditions include

heavy wind specialists Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas in the 470 mixed dinghy and 49er sailors Jim Colley and Shaun Connor who also like a blow.

At the Tokyo Olympics Australian sailors won two gold medals, courtesy of Wearn and the now retired Mat Belcher and Will Ryan in the 470 men’s dinghy, replaced for the Paris Olympics by the mixed boat.

The most successful Games for Australia was the three gold and one silver medal haul at the 2012 Olympic Games in London..

Originally published as Paris 2024 Olympics: Australian sailing team look to cool new events for medal glory