Rio Olympians battling pollution, weed and rivals for 470 world sailing success

A RIVER of brown filth which caused mass illness at a regatta last year will be the scene for Australian Mat Belcher’s extraordinary bid for a place in sailing history.

A RIVER of brown filth which caused mass illness at a world championship regatta last year will be the scene for Australian Mat Belcher’s extraordinary bid for a place in sailing history.

Their rivals are fierce but it is weed, polluted water and the potential for catching a debilitating illness that has Olympic champion Belcher and his crewmen Will Ryan most concerned ahead of their world sailing championships next week.

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Father of two Belcher and Ryan are attempting to become Australia’s first world Olympic class sailing champions of the year in San Isidro, Argentina, next week — the scene of a mass outbreak of illness at a world championships regatta late last year.

On the very river they will attempt to win the 470 world titles on — Belcher’s seventh consecutive and Ryan’s fourth — Australian teammate Iain Jensen became so sick with a stomach virus which downed more than a third of the fleet he was barely able to sail.

Jensen, who could not eat for three days at the 2015 world 49er skiff championships, had to be taken out to the racecourse by powerboat each day to race.

Olympic Gold medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen conquered major obstacles, including polluted waters and illness, to win a silver at their world 49er skiff titles last year.

Belcher said he and Ryan, who have been battling well publicised pollution issues in Rio, are working overtime on staying fit and healthy ahead of and during the regatta which begins Monday.

“We will wear sunglasses the whole time, even when we might normally not because it is hard to see the wind,’’ Belcher said from Argentina.

“The idea is not to fall into the water and not too get too wet which is a little difficult.

“It’s going to be a challenge. The water is muddy and brown, it’s shallow, there is weed and the wind is a little weird.

“Because of the colour of the water it is hard to read the wind as well.’’

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan after claiming their third successive world championship title together in Israel in 2015.

As an added precaution to getting sick, Belcher and Ryan will take numerous vitamins and supplements, use hand wipes constantly and shower as quickly as possible once they get off the water.

Belcher last year became the first sailor to win six consecutive world titles in an Olympic class and has the change to match the feat of former Australian Olympian and Tornado catamaran sailor Darren Bundock in winning seven world crowns in an Olympic class at the Argentina regatta.

“The goal is to win. It would be a great confidence booster to take it into the Olympics,’’ Belcher said.

Originally published as Rio Olympians battling pollution, weed and rivals for 470 world sailing success