Paris Olympics 2024: Sailing iQFOiL speedster Grae Morris named for Australian team debut

This Paris-bound young gun will fly so fast at the Olympics he’d cop a speeding ticket on most suburban roads and it’s why his event could easily come with a danger warning.

Sailing speedster Grae Morris will fly so fast at his debut Olympics he’d cop a speeding ticket on most suburban roads and it’s why his event comes with a safety helmet and could well include a danger warning.

The super fast iQFOiL is the new windsurfing board being raced at the Olympics and will

allow athletes like the Australian Olympic team’s latest members to fly high and faster than ever before.

Previously Olympic boards had dagger boards with foil allowing athletes to fly over the water rather than on it, or through it.

The reduced drag means higher speeds - and the propensity for a “big bang” or high-speed crash.

“It’s awesome fun,’’ said Morris, 20, who was flying back to Australia from Barcelona when officially confirmed onto the 2024 Australian Olympic team alongside Tokyo Olympic champion Matt Wearn in Perth on Friday.

Grae Morris competing at the last iQFOiL European championships in Greece. Picture: Supplied/Sailing Energy

“But when you crash you go from full speed to zero in a millisecond. The only time you realise you’ve crashed is when you come up.

“It mainly happens when the foil leaves the water. As soon as the foil break the surface of the water, it acts like a break and you just stop. That’s when you get the big bang

“You really feel it the next day.’’

Grae Morris at the Europeans.

Morris and Wearn are the eighth and ninth athletes selected to the Australian 2024 Olympic team which now boast Jessica Fox, Tim Anderson and Tristan Carter (Slalom), Breiana Whitehead (sailing), marathon swimmer Chelsea Gubecka and sport climbers Campbell Harrison and Oceania MacKenzie.

Morris, who raced out of Woolhara sailing club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, will be the first male athlete from Australia to complete in windsurfing at an Olympic Games since the Lars Kleppich who finished fourth at the Sydney 2000 Games.

The former Cranbrook student said he’s always wanted to be an Olympian.

“From as early as I remember, I thought it would be really cool,’’ said Morris who got his love of sailing from champion windsurfer father Brett, also an elite competitor in his heyday.

“When I started to get some good results, I thought well, maybe this is a possibility.’’

Morris qualified Australia a spot in Paris with his ninth at the 2023 world championships before finishing sixth at the Europeans last year and fourth at the following Olympic test event - including scoring two race wins.

In another performance indicating the youngster has metal potential in Paris, Morris just missed a medal at the most recent iQFOiL world titles.

The inclusion of a foiling windsurfer on the Olympic sailing program is part of the concerted effort to make the sport more attractive to both fans and young sailors with a need for speed and more thrills.

Debuting in Paris is kite surfing with Australian Whitehead already selected onto the Australian team in this action-packed new class.

Wearn, who recently won his second world crown in convincing style in just five months along with the Olympic test event in Marseille, is Australian sailings leading change of a gold medal in the ILCA 7 class which was formerly known as Laser.

Morris said Wearn, 28, is the athlete he most admires.

“Matty is an inspiration to every sailor in the world, and particularly all the young sailors. He’s the best sailor in the world right now and it's an honour to be on the team with him,’’ Morris said.

Originally published as Paris Olympics 2024: Sailing iQFOiL speedster Grae Morris named for Australian team debut