July 25 2016

Veteran athletes set to sail towards podium in Rio

Sail Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee are proud to announce the six athletes nominated for selection to Team Canada for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games this September.

The veteran team, led by Beijing 2008 Paralympic gold medalist and Sydney 2000 bronze medalist Paul Tingley, has a strong track record of medal performances. Tingley and his Sonar crew, Scott Lutes and Logan Campbell, won gold at the 2016 Miami World Cup in January.

Husband and wife team John McRoberts and Jackie Gay (2-person keelboat, SKUD) also secured podium finishes this year, with a bronze medal at an international sailing event in Italy this spring. McRoberts is a Beijing 2008 Paralympic bronze medalist and Atlanta 1996 silver medallist, while Gay will compete in Rio at her first Paralympic Games.

Bruce Millar, who competed at the last three Paralympic Games, is set to sail solo in the highly competitive 2.4mR fleet.

“Congratulations to all nominated sailors as you set sail for the podium in Rio,” said Team Canada Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc. “John and Paul both came very close to the podium in their respective events in London and I’m sure they are going into Rio extremely driven and focused. Their experience should be very beneficial to their crews.”

Team Canada has a rich history of excellence in sailing at the Paralympic Games. Canadian sailors have won one gold medal, one silver and two bronze in their last five Paralympic Games appearances.

“The Canadian Sailing Team is loaded with veteran performers and are set to take on the world,” said High Performance Director and Head Coach Ken Dool. “All three teams have been demonstrating their brilliance over the past four years in preparation for the big show in Rio. Final preparations are taking place on their respective home waters and the Canadian squad is looking forward to representing their country proudly in September.”

“Our Sail Canada athletes achieved great results in London and I know they are poised to make a strong push for the podium in Brazil this summer,” said the Honorable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. “Congratulations to the sailors, their coaches and their families on getting to this milestone on the road to Rio. Now let’s get behind our athletes and make sure they can hear us all the way from Rio!”

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games take place September 7 to 18. Sailors will hit the water at Marina da Gloria on Sept. 12 and will race through to Sept. 17.

Athlete biographies are available at Paralympic.ca/athletes. Bios and high resolution photos can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/zs293tq.

The sailors nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Team are as follows:
2.4mR (one-person keelboat)
Bruce Millar, Victoria, B.C.*

SKUD (two-person keelboat)
Jackie Gay, Victoria, B.C.
John McRoberts, Victoria, B.C.*

Sonar (three-person keelboat)
Logan Campbell, Saskatoon, Sask.*
Scott Lutes, Montreal, Que.*
Paul Tingley, Halifax, N.S.*

*Denotes athletes with previous Paralympic Games experience

The nominated team will be supported by the following coaching staff in preparation for Rio: Head coach Ken Dool (Kingston, Ont.), coach Erik Stibbe (Vancouver, B.C.) and coach Steve McBride (Victoria, B.C.).

About Sail Canada: www.sailing.ca
About the Canadian Paralympic Committee: www.paralympic.ca