The Australian Olympic Committee has announced the selection of women’s sailors Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo, the first athletes selected to the Team in 2021.
The Perth-based duo, who were awarded Australian Sailing’s 2019 Female Sailors of the Year Award, will make their Olympic debut competing in the women’s 470 class.
23-year-old Jerwood and 25-year-old De Vries and had a breakout 2019, including winning World Cup Series silver in Enoshima the very harbour hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sailing regatta and earning a Tokyo 2020 quota for Australia with a top 10 finish at the World Championships.
Jerwood’s and de Vries’ selection brings the number of selected athletes in the Australian Olympic Team to 80 of an expected 480.
Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman welcomed the sailors to their debut Australian Olympic Team.
"Congratulations to Monique and Nia for earning selection to the Australian Team for Tokyo," Mr Chesterman said. "They have shown incredible resilience to stay focused on their Olympic dream over the last 12 months.
"They are part of a very strong sailing team working hard for success in Tokyo. Sailing has a rich Olympic history in sailing and Nia and Monique should be proud that so much hard work over many years will see them sailing for their country in Tokyo.
"Congratulations as well to Nia and Monique’s coaches, families, supports, friends and teammates for helping them reach this milestone, and to the entire team at Australian Sailing for helping sailors develop from the community to the elite level.
De Vries said she was honoured to make her debut Olympics Team.
"We’ve been working towards this for a really long time, so it is just so special to have all of our hard work pay off in being selected," she said.
"It’s really special to now be part of Australia’s Olympic heritage in sailing. Nia and I have had so many great influences from the team over the years, it’s just an honour to now join that.
"We consider ourselves the luckiest 470 team in the world - our coach in Perth Belinda Stowell is an Olympic gold medallist, we’ve had exposure to 2008 Women’s 470 gold medal winning team Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson and when in Sydney we train under Victor Kovalenko alongside [Olympic medallists and World Champions] Mat Belcher and Will Ryan.
Jerwood said today’s announcement was a mix of elation and pure relief after the 12-month delay.
"It’s so exciting, we are so proud to be joining the team, and of the work that we put in to earn our spot," she said. "We are also really thankful to the people who helped us get there."
"We knew we were a chance of selection after our performance at the World Cup event in 2019, so with everything that has happened since that time we went through a rollercoaster of emotion to now arrive here. We were really excited when we achieved those performances back in 2019, but today we stand here with a mix of relief and jubilation.
"But we’ve also used the last year as preparation, working on our weaknesses to become more well-rounded athletes. We know we’ve gotten faster, our technique and speed have improved and we’re ready to put in our best performance in Tokyo.
Australian Sailing President, Daniel Belcher, commended the young pair on what they have achieved.
"Nia and Monique have come so far and thoroughly deserve their spot on the Australian Olympic Team," said Belcher. "We look forward to seeing what we know they can achieve when they get to the start line in Enoshima this July."
The 470 pair join ten other sailors already selected to the Team for Tokyo.
Australian Sailors selected to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo
Find out more with full athlete Bios at www.olympics.com.au/games/tokyo-2020/team/
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