First Olympic Yachting Selections

NZOC Media Release, 21st December 2011

The first members of an expected 200-strong New Zealand Olympic Team were named today.
Sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er), Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie (women’s 470), Andrew Murdoch (laser), Jon Paul Tobin (RS:X), Paul Snow Hansen and Jason Saunders (men’s 470), Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Susannah Pyatt (women’s match racing) and Sara Winther (laser radial) were confirmed to the New Zealand Olympic team by New Zealand Olympic Committee Selectors, headed by Secretary General Kereyn Smith.
The athletes’ nomination and selection followed robust performances at the recently concluded Sailing World Championships in Perth. The World Championship returned one silver and two bronze medals for New Zealand.
Kereyn Smith said the twelve athletes named today will represent New Zealand proudly next year. “We’re delighted to name the first members of an exciting and high performing Olympic Team. We’re expecting our 100th Olympic medal at London 2012 and are confident our sailors will contribute to this.”
Olympic Scholarship holders Blair Tuke and Peter Burling (49er) won silver at Perth on the back of a bronze win earlier this year at the Olympic Test event. The duo was delighted to be named to the team.
“We’re really growing in confidence and moving steadily up the results table,” said Tuke, heading for his first Olympic Games. “Being named to the Olympic team is a huge boost and we’re focused on an even better performance at London next year. “
Burling represented New Zealand in Beijing where he finished eleventh in the 470 class. “The Olympic Games are an opportunity to once again represent my country with pride.”
The athletes were selected following nomination to the New Zealand Olympic Committee by Yachting New Zealand. New Zealand Olympic Committee selectors confirmed the athletes had met the mutually agreed selection criteria.
“Some of the spots were particularly hard fought and we know today’s announcement will be particularly disappointing for some,” said Smith. “It’s a reflection of depth of talent within sailing right now. The selection process is robust and results-driven.”  

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Yachting New Zealand Olympic Director Jez Fanstone says the athletes make up a young team with strong podium potential.
“The athletes named today are the in-form athletes who have performed at the 2011 ISAF worlds and who are on track to perform at London 2012,” he said.
“Our goal is to learn the lessons from these worlds, to continue improving and to be back on the podium in 2012. Today’s announcement is a celebration of a successful World Championship and a successful year for the NZL sailing team.”
There are nine athletes under 25 years of age in the sailing team and equal mix of male and female.
There are three remaining classes not yet selected – Finn, Star and Women’s RS:X. The Star class is yet to qualify an Olympic spot for New Zealand. The process will continue until the completion of class world championships in 2012.
The Olympic sailing course for London 2012 is situated at Weymouth where conditions are expected to favour the New Zealand team. “They’re well-balanced conditions not un-like the East Coast Bays of Auckland,” said Fanstone.
London 2012 will be the first Olympic Games where match racing will feature on the programme.
New Zealand has been represented in Olympic sailing since Melbourne in 1956 where Jack Cropp and Peter Mander won gold in the Sharpie class. A total of 16 Olympic medals (seven gold, four silver, five bronze) have been won by Kiwi yachtsmen and women.
With a total of 96 New Zealanders representing New Zealand in sailing at Olympic Games in the past, London will see New Zealand’s 100th Olympic athlete take to the water.
New Zealand Olympic Team Selections will continue throughout the build-up to the games with men’s and women’s Basketball expected to be the last possible team to qualify and be selected in July next year.
The London Olympic Games take place 27 July – 12 August 2012. The New Zealand team is expected to contain athletes representing New Zealand in approximately 17 sports.

For more information:
Ashley Abbott
Communications Manager
New Zealand Olympic Committee
021 552 021
Ashley@olympic.org.nz

Kristine Lederis
Communications Manager
Yachting New Zealand
021 871 301
kristine@yachtingnz.co.nz

Women’s double handed class- 470
Jo Aleh
Yacht Club: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Age: 25 years
Olivia Powrie
Yacht Club: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Age: 24 years
Jo Aleh, who finished seventh at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Laser Radial Class, now takes the helm of the 470 pairing with Olivia Powrie. Olivia is also an accomplished sailor in her own right; she had a stint in the Yngling during the previous cycle.
Jo and Olivia (known as Team Jolly) first combined in 2007 to compete in the Women’s 420 World Championships, and they won the title. After taking the step up to the 470 class, these two women have been New Zealand’s top women’s 470 duo without contention.
Their campaign toward 2012 has included numerous podium finishes, most recently winning the bronze medal at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, and they were the silver medallists the year previous. Although they just missed out on a medal at the 2011 Weymouth and Portland pre-Olympic event with a fourth place overall, the gold medals from two other 2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup events in 2011 (Sail for Gold and Princess Sofia Regattas) made up for the difference.

Women’s Match Racing
Stephanie Hazard
Yacht Club: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Sandspit Yacht Club
Age 22 years
Jenna Hansen
Yacht Club: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Whangarei Cruising Club
Age: 25 years
Susannah Pyatt
Yacht Club:Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Murrays Bay Sailing Club
Age: 21 years
In 2011, Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Susannah Pyatt have been climbing their way up the International women’s match racing circuit. Together, they were the ninth strongest team at the Perth 2011 ISAF World Sailing Championships.
This top result follows to strong lead up events, winning the NZL Sailing Team Womens Match Racing Championships and then leaving the Busan Women’s Match Cup in Korea with a silver medal.
Stephanie Hazard (helm) and Jenna Hansen (mainsheet) have come through the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Youth Training Programme, while Susannah Pyatt (bow) comes from a stronger dinghy background from Auckland’s North Shore. Earlier this year they spent five months competing in a series of events throughout Europe and this result