Vilamoura is hosting, from today, April 19th, a sailing competition in which it will fight for the last places in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
This ILCA-International Laser Class Association Olympic qualification of the European Continent started in Vilamoura waters and is organized by Vilamoura Sailing.
In this qualifying competition for European countries, the only four 'tickets' still available for Tokyo 2020 will be the target of a fierce fight in the waters of Vilamoura.
There are two places for the men's fleet with 17 nations looking for the much-desired passport and two more for women with 7 countries dreaming of reaching Tokyo.
This race, which for many represents the ultimate opportunity, brought 150 sailors from 34 countries to Vilamoura.
Portugal aspires to conquer one of these places, both for men and women.
Four sailors and eight national sailors will try their luck, in a class in which our country has great reference figures such as Sara Carmo and Gustavo Lima, athletes with several participations in the Olympic Games.
Luís Rocha, national technical director of the Portuguese Sailing Federation, highlights the very young age of Portuguese sailors, especially the two athletes with more chances of qualifying: Carolina João, from Sport Algés e Dafundo and Mafalda Pires de Lima, from Clube de Sailing the Atlantic.
“In the case of these two sailors, it is perfectly possible that they will reach the qualification. But, due to their youth, and regardless of the results they manage to achieve these days, they must continue their preparations in a long-term perspective because they will certainly have other Olympic Games ahead of them», he says.
For the first time, a record number of international competitions are held at the same location in a short space of time.
The good safety conditions offered by Vilamoura, with regard to the pandemic, led the International Olympic Committee and World Sailing to entrust Portugal and Vilamoura Sailing with the organization of these events.
«Vilamoura Sailing created in the last year unique safety conditions from the point of view of public health and this was recognized by national and international entities. The world's sailing elite has been in Vilamoura training and participating in European and world events since September 2020», says Nuno Reis, director of Vilamoura Sailing.
This month, the European Championship of the 470 class will also take place in Vilamoura Marina and in July it will be the turn of the European Championship of Raceboard, a windsurfing discipline.
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