Paris Olympic team: Sailors Zoe Thomson, Conor Nicholas, Brin Liddell, Rhiannan Brown, Nia Jerwood in
Debutants will be ruling the waves for Australia at the Paris Olympics with one medal hopeful named on two special teams on the same day in a remarkable coincidence.
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It was always going to be a good day for Zoe Thomson knowing she was going to be officially unveiled as the ninth Australian sailing debutant selected for the Paris Olympics.
But it got even better a few hours earlier when she was also named as part of the 13-strong Team Australia Challenge for the upcoming America’s Cup.
Thomson is now one of four female Olympians on the 13-strong squad for the America’s Cup alongside Paris bound Olivia Price (49erFX), London Olympian Nina Curtis and Rio and Tokyo Olympian Lisa Darmanin.
She is also one of majority in the Australian sailing team heading to the 2024 Olympics where she will make her Games debut.
In a major changing of the guard, only two athletes from the Tokyo Olympics are heading to Paris in defending Olympic champion Matt Wearn (ILCA 7) and Nia Jerwood who was named on Saturday in the new mixed 470 class after she raced in the women’s boat in Japan.
Her crewmate Conor Nicholas, the young Nacra 17 team of Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown and Thomson will all make their Olympic debuts in Marseilles where the sailing will be raced.
They will join the already named debutants Breiana Whitehead (kite boarding), Grae Morris (IQFOiL windsurfer), Evie Haseldine (49erFX) and Jim Colley and Shaun Connor (49er skiff) and 2012 Olympic match racing silver medallist turned 49erFX skipper Price.
Thomson said she has put the storm that erupted when a rivals father questioned his daughter’s non-selection - despite her not achieving the required baseline required - and compared past performances to Thomson’s - who did achieve the baseline - in a Facebook post later delated.
“What is important now is to relax, push and embrace it,” said Thomson of the remaining time she has before the Olympic sailing program begins on July 26 to August 11.
Single-handed sailor Thomson said she goes to Paris with the belief she can medal.
“I am in the fight,” she said. “That’s the coolest part about it and it’s a big motivator.”
Jerwood and Nicholas have known each they were kids and have showed glimpses of what is required to win a medal in Marseilles - including a sixth placing at the Olympic Test event last year.
The pair managed to get to a number of regattas they needed to impress in thanks to the extraordinary generosity of family, friends and their local sailing community who helped raise around $70,00 in just a few days to bolster the pairs final thrust
“We aren’t here to mess around,” Nicholas said.
“We have the right tools and coaching and there’s no reason that we can’t get a medal.
“On our best day we are as good as anyone.’’
Liddell and Brown, both from NSW, are perhaps the two most excited sailing debutants with the pair originally bought into the elite fold to work towards 2028 LA Olympics selection.
But with Rio silver medallist Jason Waterhouse snagging an America’s Cup job which prevented he and cousin Lisa Darmanin campaigning for Paris the pair came into the mix and impressed with a series of results which earned them an early selection.
“I think we are still in shock,’’ Liddell said. “It (LA) is still the main goal for us and where we want to win a medal but I feel like going in with no expectations and pressure could be a good thing.’’
Australia won two gold medals in Tokyo but with the men’s 470 dropped in favour of the mixed boat only Perth’s Matt Wearn is able to return to defend his ILCA 7 crown.
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan won the men’s 470 gold in Toko but have since retired from Olympic campaigning.
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Originally published as Paris Olympic team: Sailors Zoe Thomson, Conor Nicholas, Brin Liddell, Rhiannan Brown, Nia Jerwood in
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