Australian Sailors aim to set record straight
The Australian Sailing Team flew to Hong Kong today for a three day assembly and preparation camp before they move into the athletes' village at the Olympic sailing venue of Qingdao, 500km south east of Beijing, on the afternoon of 28 July 2008. 
'Australian Sailing Team members Iain Murray and Andrew Palfrey will be competing in Qingdao in a few weeks'
Yachting Australia
The team, which is ranked number one in the world and includes three current World Champions and three world number one ranked athletes, has had a highly successful twelve months leading up to the Olympic Games and is keen to reverse the situation of no medals won in Athens four years ago.
Australia is considered medal favorites in several classes including Laser, Tornado, 49er and Men's 470 and the team is hopeful of emulating the sport's best ever Olympic result achieved in Sydney with two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze.
Australian Sailing Team Director Michael Jones said the team of 17 athletes, nine coaches and four support staff is the best prepared ever for an Olympic Games and is confident the athletes are going into competition as ready as they can be.
"The team has spent a lot of time in Qingdao over the past two years and we have planned and utilised that time very efficiently," said Jones.
"In addition to becoming comfortable in the challenging conditions, we have worked very hard on specific preparation for these games and our form in other competitions has shown the value and success of this preparation.
"The team are all well, their boats have been meticulously prepared for the Olympic competition and now it's just a matter of doing the job on the course.
"No other Australian Olympic sailing team has had the degree of structured preparation, scientific analysis, venue specific training and support provided to this team.
"They've shown what they can do - we've had numerous ISAF Grade One event wins across most classes and seven world championship wins in the lead up to these Games.
"Now it's a matter of coping with the pressure of Olympic competition, dealing with the weather handed to us each day and ensuring everything comes together out on the water when it matters most.
"They're hungry, they're nervous, but justifiably confident that they'll do their very best and that will bring results."
Australian Laser sailor and Olympic debutant Tom Slingsby joined the team fresh from his victories at the 2008 Laser European Championships last weekend and Germany's Kiel Week in June. The 23 year old from the NSW Central Coast is a dual World Champion, ranked number one in the world and a firm favourite to medal at the Olympic Games.
Slingsby said he's aware of the pressure of expectation but is putting it aside to focus on the job at hand.
"It's a cross between nerves and excitement at the moment," said Slingsby.
"I know a lot of people are expecting me to come away with a really good result and I know as long as I do everything I can and prepare as best I can, I have a chance of delivering.
"There is a lot of pressure around and I'm not used to the atmosphere of an Olympic Games, so I need to pretend it's another major regatta and get used to it early in the piece and just do what I always do."
Tornado skipper Darren Bundock is the only member of the current Australian Olympic sailing team who has previously won an Olympic medal. The 37 year old won Silver at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games with John Forbes. This will be Bundock's third Olympic Games and potentially the last chance for he and crewman Glenn Ashby to medal in the Tornado class, which will not feature on the competition schedule at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The six time Tornado World Champion said the pair were feeling quietly confident ahead of the Games.
"Our preparation has been flawless and we have been the outstanding performer in the fleet for the last 18 months - we are ready!" said Bundock.
"We have done so much development for the unique conditions in China, have selected all our equipment already, physically we are prepared and we have both reached our crew weight targets."
Bundock and Ashby's competition schedule allows time for them to march with the Australian Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing - an experience they are both looking forward to.
"We have given ourselves 100% chance of going one better than Silver in Sydney and, finally after four years, it's all come to reality but it's not until the Opening Ceremony you realise the magnitude of the Olympics," said Bundock.
"Entering the stadium in Sydney is something I will never forget and I'm sure the Chinese Opening Ceremony will be second to none - I'm hoping the atmosphere from the ceremony will get me pumped to win that elusive gold.'
The Men's and Women's 470 teams are also on the 'ones to watch' list at Qingdao, both winning Gold at the 2007 Olympic Sailing Test Event. Sydney's Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page are five time World Champions, currently ranked number one in the world and have now won every major title in their class except an Olympic medal. The pair placed twelfth at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and have learnt from the experience.
"We're very excited to be on the eve of the Olympic Games," said Page.
"This is our chance to complete our 'inventory' of wins and we're looking forward to the opportunity to prove to the world that we really are number one.
"We feel this is the best prepared we've ever been for any major regatta - in terms of the boat and equipment, our mental and physical state.
"It's always an added bonus going to an Olympic Games and to be able to fly the flag proudly for Australia."
The youngest crew in the Australian team, 22 year old Elise Rechichi and 21 year old Tessa Parkinson from Perth, go into the Olympic competition with a Bronze at both this year's 470 World Championships and 470 European Championships and could be a surprise package.
"This is really it! Obviously we are nervous, being our first Olympics, however the nerves have settled in the last few weeks because our preparation has been good and we are at a point where we are really ready and want to race," said Rechichi.
"We understand the conditions and are confident in our equipment, so now it's just a matter of performing on the day."
For the current 49er World Champion crew of Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin, getting on the plane has been an achievement in itself. The pair began sailing together when Outteridge slowly returned to the water after suffering horrendous back injuries in a car crash in 2005. The 22 year old was lucky to survive and even luckier to walk again. Physiotherapist Austin has battled his own back problems and the two share a quiet determination which could take them to the podium. Following their 2008 49er World Championship win they have shown good form in Qingdao-like conditions and can rightfully expect to figure in the medals.
"There was a time when I thought this would never happen and now we're going and there's been a lot of time and effort put into getting here both personally and by everyone around us both," said Outteridge.
"It feels very real because it's been hard work and it's been planned for the past four years and everything I've done in past two years has been focused on getting to this point.
"We just want to get there now - we'd be happy to start racing tomorrow if we could."
For 50 year old Olympic rookie Iain Murray, this is the beginning of an experience he's been dreaming about for most of his sailing life. Having competed in four America's Cup campaigns, 12 Sydney Hobart races, three Admirals Cups, a Tour de France ? Voile and won seven 18ft World Skiff Championships in a row, the sailing legend and his crewman Andrew Palfrey are excited about their first Olympic experience. The pair will also take part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing as Star class racing does not begin until the second week of the Games.
"This has been six years in the making and Andrew Palfrey and I are as well prepared as we possibly could be - we've done everything and want for nothing in our preparation," said Murray.
"We are looking forward to the races now, which will determine the winner of the fleet."
Victoria's Sarah Blanck, currently ranked third in the world in the Laser Radial, and Anthony Nossiter, who will represent Australia in the Finn class, are completing training in Europe and will meet the rest of the team in Hong Kong. Blanck is heading to her second Olympic Games and is in the best form of her life. New coach and Olympic Bronze Medallist Michael Blackburn has been working with Sarah since late last year to improve her consistency and speed in light winds and her improvement makes her a firm medal prospect.
The team will move into the athletes' village at Qingdao on 28 July and spend the following week with final boat preparations and on-water training.
Olympic sailing competition begins on 9 August with racing for Finn and Yngling classes.
by Nicole Brown 
Devonport, TAS
