TEAM GB sailor Micky Beckett is determined to give it his all in pursuit of a medal after the postponement of his men’s dinghy final. Beckett, who hails from Pembrokeshire, was scheduled to compete for a podium place on day 11, but the ever-changing weather conditions in Marseille led to the cancellation of his medal race.
Beckett will enter Wednesday’s (August 7) final in fourth place, outside the medal positions, and has vowed to exert maximum effort to clinch an Olympic medal at the last minute.
“I’m currently in fourth, so I’ve got nothing to lose,” he stated. “Yes, I could slip back, but more importantly, I have the chance to win bronze or even silver. I’m only five points behind the bronze position, which means that in tomorrow’s race, with ten boats competing, I need to finish three places ahead of Stefano [Peschiera of Peru], who is currently in third.
“Bronze is a real possibility, and these medal races are always chaotic, so anything can happen. I’m looking forward to it, and I’ve got nothing to lose. We’ve done extensive training focused on medal races and the specific skills required for them.”
Marseille has presented numerous challenges for sailing at Paris 2024, with the venue’s unpredictable conditions causing several races to be cancelled throughout the Games. Some events may not even complete their opening series, heightening the importance of each race.
Beckett has certainly felt the impact of the windless weather, which disrupted racing once again on Tuesday.
“It’s tough. You kind of get used to it in sailing, as we’re always dependent on the wind,” he explained. “Today, there isn’t any, so we’re just sitting on our boats, contemplating what needs to be done. I guess we’ll come back tomorrow.”
