Will Ryan, Mat Belcher on wave of success as finalists for World Sailor of the Year
They have won every major regatta this year but Newcastle’s Will Ryan and skipper Mat Belcher have the fight of their life ahead to win this major award.
The Newcastle News
Don't miss out on the headlines from The Newcastle News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
He had the honour of being the first man selected to compete for Australia at next year’s Olympic Games and now Will Ryan is on course to claim one of the biggest honours of his career after being nominated a finalist for World Sailor of the Year awards.
The Newcastle athlete has had a year to remember in the 470 dinghy with skipper Mat Belcher.
MOTIVATION: Aussie schoolboys out to end drought
The pair, who sailed together at the Rio Olympics, won the World Cup, the world championships, the European titles and the Olympic test event.
These four big titles were surrounded by numerous other victories on the water with the pair and Laser sailor Matt Wearn last month the first athletes to be confirmed on the Australian Olympic team competing in Tokyo in 2020.
The Australians are one of four male nominees for Male Sailor of the Year and the only non-Europeans. The awards will to be determined by public and committee voting.
The Australians are up French world slalom champion Antoine Albeau, Italian world Optimist champion and Route du Rhum winner Francis Joyon from France.
MORE NEWS
Ryan and Belcher are also Australia’s leading hopes for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
If they achieve the feat, Belcher will become the first Australian skipper in history to win two Olympics gold medals after his success with Ryan’s predecessor Mal Page at the London Olympics.
The only Australian to have won World Sailor of the Year is Gosford sailor Tom Slingsby who took it out in the wake of his gold medal at the London Olympics in the single-handed Laser.