Paris 2024 Olympic sailor Matt Wearn chasing place in history after ILCA 7 world title defence
He’s a gold medal contender for Paris 2024 with a second world title in five months in the bag and a special day this week buoying super sailor Matt Wearn's confidence of a golden double.
Matt Wearn has emerged as one of Australia’s top contenders for gold - and a little history - at the Paris Olympics after snaring a second world title in five months on bumpy Australian waters on Wednesday.
The victory in Adelaide at the ILCA 7 world championships has established Wearn as the man to beat on the Olympic sailing racecourse in Marseille later this year despite one of the worst preparations of any sailor in the international fleet.
“I was pretty low. I really struggled. I couldn’t leave home some days from a lack of energy,” Wearn said after a debilitating bout of long after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics which confined him to a couch for an extended period.
“I also lost a lot of body weight and muscle mass.”
Wearn secured the world crown with a victory in the double points Medal race on Wednesday after going into the final race with an eight point buffer to has nearest rival, Norweigan Hermann Tomasgaard who finished second.
A now recovered - and plumped up - Wearn will take the confidence of two world crowns, a victory at the Olympic Test event and a win over his major rivals in the recent Australian championships into his Games gold medal defence.
The only potential negative prior to the world championships was the south of France is likely to produce lighter conditions than 27-year-old Wearn loves the most - until this week in Adelaide.
Sailors were delivered an assortment of conditions last year, from days of Mistral (strong nor’westerly wind) to big swell and blustery 20-25 knots.
“That’s less likely at the Olympics,’’ Wearn said. “We’re expecting more light sea breezes and five to twelve knots and quite flat.’’
At the worlds, Wearn rated his best day at the regatta the one with the lightest winds in a major boost to his confidence ahead of the Olympics.
“It was probably my best day of the whole regatta out there,’’ Wearn said.
“It’s very special to win here, on home waters, and there’s been a great sense of atmosphere.
“It’s important too have strong results leading up to the Games because this is our biggest last event and a great way to start the year.
“There’s always a sense of relief when I did it. Going back to back is a confirmation that you are on the right track.’’
Wearn, confirmed on the Olymic team in late February alongside newcomer Grae Morris, will be the only Australian sailor competing at the 2024 Olympics with a medal to his name.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Mat Belcher and Tokyo winning crewmate Mat Ryan will not be racing after the men’s 470 dinghy was dropped form the Olympic program in favour of a mixed boat.
Jason Waterhouse, who is now involved with America’s Cup racing, and Lisa Darmanin pulled the plug on their Nacra 17 campaign after winning silver at the Rio Olympics but finishing fifth in Tokyo due to speed issues.
If Wearn’s defends his Olympic crown in France, he will be the first Australian sailor to win two gold medals in the ILCA 7 single-handed boat which underwent a name change from Laser after the Tokyo Olympics.
Australians Tom Slingsby (2012) and Tom Burton (2016) have previously won Olympic gold medals for Australia in the class.
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