Former student heads for Olympics

A former student of St John the Baptist Primary School in Woy Woy has been selected in the Laser men's sailing event for the London Olympics.

Tom Slingsby, 27, of Point Frederick, placed first in the 2012 Sail for Gold Regatta, the 2012 Laser World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2011 Olympic Test Event, the 2011 Sailing World Cup in Great Britain and the 2011 Sailing World Cup in The Netherlands.

He also placed second in the 2011 Sailing World Cup in Spain and third in the 2011 Sailing World Cup in France.

He was world champion for the Laser singlehanded dinghy event in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

He has been on the national team for seven years and represents Gosford Sailing Club.

Slingsby was a full time tennis player until the age of 16 when he suffered burn out, so turned his focus to sailing, which he had been doing since the age of eight.

He went into the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as the number one ranked sailor and world champion in his class.

However, his Olympic campaign did not go as planned and he finished 22nd.

In 2010, Slingsby was named World Sailor of the Year and was the first Australian to do so.

The award came after a year of racing where he reclaimed the world number one ranking, won the 2010 Laser World Championship (his third in four years) and took out the 2010 Etchells World Championship.

He also won three rounds of the 2010 World Cup including one at the Olympic venue of Weymouth.

He finalised his preparations this year with a fifth World Championship title in six years as he took out the Laser World Championship in Boltenhagen, Germany.

Slingsby said he would compete with the Oracle Racing Team that would defend the America's Cup in San Francisco next year, but said achieving Olympic gold remained his priority for this year, with America's Cup sailing fitting into his Laser schedule.

Website, 20 Jul 2012

Australian Olympic Team