Sailors under pressure

The last chance for an Olympic nation ticket

Lorena Abicht is aiming for her second Olympic participation.(Bild: OeSV/Dominik Matesa)

Last chance! From Sunday, the last sailing nation tickets for the Olympic Games will be up for grabs off Hyères in the south of France. After the 2023 World Championships in The Hague and the Continental Qualifier, this is the third and final opportunity to win further quota places for the upcoming major sporting event.

For this reason, the traditional regatta on the Mediterranean coast will be held as a "split event": two regattas will be held in each of the ten Olympic disciplines, one for nations that have not yet qualified and one for nations that have already qualified.

I am here to give my best and to make up for the disadvantage that I have not been surfing as long as others with all my experience, passion and dedication to this sport.

Lorena ABICHT

Everything subordinated to the Olympic dream
Lorena Abicht from UYC Neusiedler See is fighting for her second Olympic participation after 2021, where the now 29-year-old was Tanja Frank's foresailor in the 49erFX. Since switching to the iQFoil class, she has spent two and a half years subordinating everything to her renewed Olympic dream - now she wants to make it big: "The work is done, I've done my homework conscientiously and well - there are no major construction sites." Nevertheless, everything has to fall into place for her to get one of the last five tickets. Abicht also knows: "I'm on the starting line with competitors who were already surfing when I was still in the Opti - that makes a big difference. But I'm here to do my best and make up for this difference with all my experience, passion and dedication to this sport." 

Clemens Kübber wants to make the most of his last chance for a national ticket.(Bild: OeSV/Dominik Matesa)

Kübber with a mini-chance
The stakes are even higher for club colleague Clemens Kübber in the ILCA7 class - and not just because he was recently in bed with a fever: "It will be difficult - but I will do everything I can. I need a good boat, good starts and then we'll see how the regatta develops."