Team USA Brings Home Seven Medals from Pan Am Games

Daily Reports

Daily reports on the 2019 U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team will be available below. Click here to follow the US Sailing Team on Twitter for regular updates.

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Final Report: Team USA Sailors Bring Home Seven Medals

PARACAS, PERU (August 11, 2019) – On Saturday, August 10, Team USA’s sailing athletes clinched three more medals at the Pan American Games Lima 2019. Will Cyr (Bayview, Mich.) secured the Bronze Medal in the Open Formula Kite Class, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea earned the Silver in the Women’s 49erFX fleet, and Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) won the Gold in the Mixed Snipe fleet. Combined with the four medals won by Team USA the previous day, the American team will be bringing home a total of seven medals.

Final Results of the U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team

• Gold – Ernesto Rodriguez & Hallie Schiffman, Mixed Snipe
• Gold – Riley Gibbs & Anna Weis, Mixed Nacra 17
• Silver – Stephanie Roble & Maggie Shea, Women’s 49erFX
• Silver – Charlotte Rose, Women’s Laser Radial
• Silver – Pedro Pascual, Men’s RS:X
• Bronze – Will Cyr, Open Formula Kite
• Bronze – Charlie Buckingham, Men’s Laser
• 4^th – Conner Blouin, Open Sunfish
• 4^th – Andrew Mollerus & Ian MacDiarmid, Men’s 49er
• 4^th – Farrah Hall, Women’s RS:X
• 5^th – Jody Starck, Skip Dieball, & Ian Jones, Mixed Lightning

Rodriguez and Schiffman maintained dominance over the Snipe fleet for the entire week. From the first day of racing, the pair stood atop the leaderboard. While Rodriguez is a decorated and well-seasoned Snipe sailor, Schiffman never competed in a doublehanded boat prior to beginning training with Rodriguez, five months ago. “I had never crewed before, so I had to learn how to sail with a teammate,” said Schiffman. “Working together and communicating was really difficult at first, but we had a much better grip on it this week.”

As someone who normally sails alone, Schiffman is used to driving the boat. In the Snipe, she competed as Rodriguez’s crew. She admitted that the switch from driving to crewing was uncomfortable at first, “When I’m in the front of the boat, I feel so blind to what’s happening to the rest of the boat. I basically had to figure out how to work the boat when I’m not steering and be comfortable with that unnatural feeling.”

While getting comfortable with a new position in an entirely unfamiliar boat, Schiffman also endured some bruises this week. Despite the hurdles they encountered, the pair prevailed and are pleased with their Gold Medal performance, “As Leandro [Spina (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing’s Olympic Development Director and Pan American Games Coach] said earlier this week, ‘bruises are temporary, but Medals are forever,’” said Schiffman.

In the 49erFX fleet, Roble and Shea went into their final race with a comfortable lead. The pair sailed a conservative race to lock in the Silver Medal and qualification for U.S. representation in the 49erFX class at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Thanks to his performance early in the week, Cyr also began his Medal Race day with a guaranteed medal. He finished with a Bronze Medal in the Open Formula Kite fleet.

Also representing Team USA in the final Medal Races of the event, Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.) finished fourth overall in the Sunfish fleet and Lightning team, Jody Starck (Buffalo, N.Y.), Skip Dieball (Grosse Ile, Mich.), and Ian Jones (Buffalo, N.Y.), finished fifth.

Updated 8/11/2019

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Team USA Sailors Clinch Gold in Pan Am Games Medal Haul

Racing has concluded in six of the seven 2020 Olympic class sailing events at the Pan American Games Lima 2019. Team USA had representatives in all six Medal Races and delivered Medals in four of the five that were sailed. Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) clinched a Gold Medal in the Nacra 17 fleet. Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) and Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.) earned Silver Medals in the Laser Radial and RS:X fleets, respectively. Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) won the Bronze in the Laser fleet.

After establishing a strong lead earlier this week, Gibbs and Weis focused on keeping their final race, in upwards of 25 knots of wind, low risk. “We didn’t need to win the race to get the Gold, so we wanted to sail a good, low-risk race,” said Weis. Their strategy paid off. The pair sailed a clean race in the extreme breeze and finished second in the Medal Race, clinching the Gold Medal and officially earning country qualification for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Gibbs also noted his gratitude for their competitors, this week, “The Brazilians and Argentineans put up such a good fight the whole week. It was even kind of nerve-wracking heading into today, a little bit of a sleepless night. But hats off to them, because they were pushing us the whole time.”

Weis expressed that the win is a validation of the hard work she and Gibbs have out in recently, “It’s an amazing feeling, to come away with Gold. We’ve been through a lot as a team—a new team—so it’s awesome to see our hard work pay off.”

Now that the pair has won Gold, their sights are already turned to their next endeavor. “I thought it was kind of funny. Straight after the medal ceremony, we went back to de-rigging the boat, like nothing really happened,” said Gibbs, “It’s another stepping stone, we’re already looking ahead to trying our best at the Olympic Test Event in Japan and putting it all out there.”

Team USA is happy to take home three more medals in addition to Gibbs and Weis’ Gold. Pascual secured the Silver for Team USA by finishing fourth in the Medal Race. Rose displayed an excellent demonstration of skill in the Laser Radial Medal Race. In a tight battle for Gold, she narrowly finished just behind the first-place boat representing Canada to win the Silver Medal. Buckingham finished the Laser Medal Race in the Bronze position. This earned him a spot on the podium next to his training partner, Juan Maegli (Guatemala City, GUA) who won the Gold for Guatemala.

In an extremely windy Medal Race, Team USA 49er athletes, Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.) were bested by Canada for the Bronze Medal and North American berth to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Despite the loss, Malcolm Page, US Sailing’s Chief of Olympics said, “Although the wind got the better of them today, they were incredible this week with their composure under pressure. I truly believe they were the more skilled team. The sport just didn’t go in their favor today.”

After the multiple capsizes in the Men’s 49er Medal Race, the Women’s 49erFX fleet was postponed. Theirs will be the first of today’s Medal Races, beginning at 12:30, local time. Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) will be looking to clinch the Silver Medal for Team USA.

The remaining four Medal Races are also scheduled for today. Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.) will start the day in fourth, with a chance at the Bronze. Lightning sailors, Jody Starck (Buffalo, N.Y.), Skip Dieball (Grosse Ile, Mich.), and Ian Jones (Buffalo, N.Y.), are in fourth-place. Will Cyr (Bayview, Mich.) is currently sitting in the Bronze position in the Formula Kite class. Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) will be looking to clinch the Gold Medal.

Updated 8/10/2019

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Day Six – Opening Series Wraps at Lima 2019, All of Team USA Qualifies for Medal Races

Sailing athletes at the Pan American Games Lima 2019 have officially wrapped the Opening Series. The top half of each fleet (or a minimum of the top 5 boats) have qualified to compete in a single, double-point Medal Race on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10. Athletes representing Team USA will be competing in all 11 Medal Races. The U.S. is in Medal contention in nine of the total 11 classes.

Day Six, U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team Standings

• Mixed Nacra 17 – 1st, Gibbs/Weis
• Women’s Laser Radial – 1st, Rose
• Mixed Snipe – 1st, Rodriguez/Schiffman
• Men’s Laser – 2nd, Buckingham
• Men’s 49er – 2nd, Mollerus/MacDiarmid
• Women’s 49erFX – 2nd, Roble/Shea
• Men’s RS:X – 2nd, Pascual
• Open Kite – 3rd, Cyr
• Open Sunfish – 4th, Blouin
• Mixed Lightning – 4th, Starck/Dieball/Jones
• Women’s RS:X – 5th, Hall

Early in the week, 49er athletes Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.) trailed just outside the podium. After today’s races, they are tied for the Silver Medal with Argentina. With only one point separating them from the Canadians in fourth place, tomorrow’s 49er medal race will truly decide the podium.

Despite the tight point spread, Mollerus and MacDiarmid aren’t intimidated by tomorrow’s Medal Race. “Our second half of the regatta has been quite a bit more intense than the first one,” said MacDiarmid. “We’ve come rumbling back, we’ve found our groove, and I’m just really excited to head out there and get it done tomorrow.”

Mollerus and MacDiarmid are among several Team USA sailors who are experiencing the Pan American Games for the first time. MacDiarmid noted that the event offers something special that Olympic class regattas can’t quite measure up to, “It’s been incredible. There’s quite a bit going on that doesn’t necessarily happen at a normal regatta, so it feels like you’re properly representing Team USA. It has a legitimacy that other events can’t compare to.”

Team USA’s Laser representative, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), is no stranger to the Games experience. He represented Team USA at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and the Rio 2016 Olympics. Buckingham agreed with MacDiarmid, mentioning the impact that competing at an event like this has on preparation for pursuing the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, “The whole atmosphere is very similar to the Olympics, the style of racing as well, so it’s great experience for Tokyo.”

Tomorrow’s Laser Medal Race will also have high stakes for Team USA. Buckingham noted that, “It’s super tight at the top. Everything is on the table for tomorrow.” He currently stands in the Silver Medal position, three points from Gold and one point ahead of Bronze.

Friday’s Medal Races will feature the Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 fleets. The Formula Kite, Lighting, Snipe, and Sunfish fleets will compete in their respective Medal Races on Saturday.

Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (For Lauderdale, Fla.) are currently in the Gold Medal position in the Nacra 17 class. Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) leads the Laser Radial fleet by one point. Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) have maintained their week-long domination of the Snipe fleet. Women’s 49erFX athletes Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) and Men’s RS:X athlete Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.) have secured a medal in their respective classes and stand in the Silver medal positions. Will Cyr (Bayview, Mich.) is in the Bronze position and has guaranteed a medal for Team USA.

Schedule for August 9, 2019 – all start times are in Central Daylight Time

• 12:30 – Men’s RS:X
• 12:30 – Men’s Laser
• 13:15 – Women’s RS:X
• 13:15 – Women’s Laser Radial
• 14:00 – Men’s 49er
• 14:00 – Mixed Nacra 17
• 14:40 – Women’s 49erFX

Updated 8/8/2019

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Day Five – USA Clinches Country Qualification for Tokyo 2020 Games

PARACAS, PERU (August 7, 2019) – Upon conclusion of the fifth day of racing at the 2019 Pan American Games sailing events, the United States has secured country qualification to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in two classes. Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) qualified the country for representation in the Mixed Nacra 17 class and Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) qualified in the 49erFX class.

There are far more countries competing in Olympic class boats than there are available spots at the Games. Therefore, athletes must first secure a berth for the United States in their chosen class before they are eligible to qualify as individuals to Team USA. The four athletes representing Team USA at the Pan Am Games qualified the U.S. for representation in Tokyo by securing their place as the top North American boat.

Gibbs and Weis are currently leading the Nacra 17 fleet with a comfortable 40-point gap separating the pair from the next-highest North American boat, Puerto Rico. Because the Nacras only have one race in the opening series and one medal race remaining, Gibbs and Weis have mathematically secured a spot for the U.S. on the starting line of the 2020 Olympic regatta.

Though the team is grateful to have secured representation, their focus this week has been on making small improvements as a team, “When we went into the week, we weren’t even worried about results,” said Gibbs. “We were just focused on the process and improving together. This accomplishment just goes to show that we’re reaping the benefits of all the work that we’ve done. Continuing to work on ourselves and developing as a team is why we’re here.”

49erFX team, Roble and Shea, also mathematically secured country qualification. They are currently in second place overall, fourteen points ahead of the closest North American competitors representing Canada. With only two 49erFX races tomorrow, followed by a medal race on Friday, their focus will now shift away from qualifying the country to clinching the Silver Medal. “We’re excited to have accomplished this goal for the team,” Shea explained. “The rest of the week, we’ll focus on trying to lock down the Silver. Currently, we’re four points ahead of the Argentineans. With three races left, one of which will have double points, anything can happen.”

As two U.S. boats secured country qualification, another moved into position to do the same later in the week. Men’s 49er athletes, Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.), finished two of today’s races in the top-three. Their impressive results advanced them to the Bronze Medal position, winning a tiebreaker against Canada for country selection.

In addition to the athletes vying for Country qualification, Team USA has several notable performances, across the board. Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) continue to hold the Gold Medal position in the Snipe fleet. Birthday girl, Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas), also stands in first place after winning all of the Laser Radial races today. Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) is also currently tied for first with his training partner, Juan Maegli (Guatemala City, GUA). Men’s RS:X athlete, Pedro Pascual (Miami Beach, Fla.), currently stands in the Silver Medal position. Team USA’s Open Formula Kiter, Will Cyr (Bayview, Mich.), and Open Sunfish sailor, Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.), both stand in third.

Assuming races are completed as scheduled, tomorrow will be the final day of the Opening Series. Friday will feature Medal Races in the Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 fleets. On Saturday, the Lightning, Snipe, Sunfish, and Kite classes will have Medal Races and the sailing events of the Pan American Games Lima 2019 will conclude.

Day Five, U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team Standings

• Mixed Nacra 17 – 1st, Gibbs/Weis
• Mixed Snipe – 1st, Rodriguez/Schiffman
• Women’s Laser Radial – 1st, Rose
• Men’s Laser – 1st, Buckingham
• Women’s 49erFX – 2nd, Roble/Shea
• Men’s RS:X – 2nd, Pascual
• Men’s 49er – 3rd, Mollerus/MacDiarmid
• Open Kite – 3rd, Cyr
• Open Sunfish – 3rd, Blouin
• Mixed Lightning – 4th, Starck/Dieball/Jones
• Women’s RS:X – 5th, Hall

Learn more about U.S. Olympic Selection.

Updated 8/7/2019

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Day Four – Gibbs and Weis Dominate Nacra Fleet, Rose Jumps into Medal Position

Day four of the Pan American Games Lima 2019 Sailing events delivered a day packed with racing. Thanks to a southwesterly breeze that filled at about 1200 local time and built throughout the day, each of the eleven classes were able to complete all scheduled races. After today’s races, Team USA has several boats in medal positions.

Day Four, U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team Standings

• Mixed Nacra 17 – 1^st, Gibbs/Weis
• Mixed Snipe – 1^st, Rodriguez/Schiffman
• Women’s Laser Radial – 2^nd, Rose
• Men’s Laser – 2^nd, Buckingham
• Women’s 49erFX – 2^nd, Roble/Shea
• Open Kite – 3^rd, Cyr
• Men’s RS:X – 3^rd, Pascual
• Open Sunfish – 3^rd, Blouin
• Mixed Lightning – 4^th, Starck/Dieball/Jones
• Men’s 49er – 4^th, Mollerus/MacDiarmid
• Women’s RS:X – 5^th, Hall

Standout U.S. sailors include Mixed Nacra 17 athletes, Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Gibbs and Weis jumped into the gold medal position after finishing each of their races in first-place, today. According to Weis, their success on the water is thanks to the recent improvements she and Gibbs have made together, “We’re improving every day as a team. Our speed and communication felt really good today. I think little improvements like that are what has made the difference in helping us do well.”

Their performance is even more impressive when considering that just eight weeks ago, it was possible that the pair would be unable to compete due to injuries. “Recently, I had a bi-lateral fasciotomy, which is, at a super basic level, surgery on both of my arms,” said Weis. “Despite my expected recovery time being somewhat up in the air, I thankfully rebounded pretty quickly and was lucky enough to be able to sail this event.” After Gibbs and Weis finish racing at the Pan American Games, they will head directly to Japan for the Ready Steady Tokyo Olympic Test Event along with Team USA Men’s Laser representative Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), Men’s 49er sailors Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, Fla.) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.), and Women’s 49erFX athletes Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea.

Team USA Women’s Laser Radial athlete, Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) also made some significant progress up the leaderboard today. After two first-place finishes today, Rose jumped up to a medal position from eighth place overall. Tomorrow, she will begin the day in second place overall.

Rose is one of the first athletes who spent much of her career in the Laser Radial training with US Sailing’s Olympic Development Program (ODP). “I’ve been on the ODP track more or less since the program started,” said Rose. The ODP is a program designed to provide structured coaching and training support for young athletes making the transition into Olympic class racing. Rose attributes some of her success at this event and the recent Laser Radial World Championships to her time training with the ODP. “I think that it has played a really big role in helping me grow as a sailor. Not only was I able to be a part of the Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association in Houston, but I was also sailing with the ODP. That meant that I got to train with a bunch of other amazing athletes and coaches across the country. Now I have the opportunity to train with people like [US Sailing Team Athletes] Erika Reineke and Paige Railey. So I’m really grateful to have that experience.”

Rose, Gibbs, and Weis are among several Team USA sailors that currently stand in medal positions. Open Sunfish athlete Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.) also sailed himself into a medal position today. Thanks to a few top-three finishes, Blouin now stands in the Bronze position. Ernesto Rodriguez (Maimi, Fla.) Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) are still leading the Mixed Snipe fleet. Men’s Laser sailor Charlie Buckingham and Women’s 49erFX team Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea stand in second place, in their respective fleets. Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Will Cyr (Bayview, Mich.) are currently holding the bronze medal positions in the Men’s RS:X and Open Formula Kite fleets.

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 1100 local time.

Updated: 8/6/2019

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Day Three – Team USA Lines up for Podium Positions

PARACAS, PERU (August 5, 2019) – Day three of the Pan American Games Lima 2019 sailing events finally delivered the conditions that sailors were hoping to see on the Bay of Paracas. After another postponement early in the day, every class managed to score at least two races in an 8-to-12-knot southerly sea breeze this afternoon. Now that each fleet has some races in the books, Team USA is leading three fleets with promising results across the board.

Day Three, U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team Standings

• Men’s Laser – 1^st, Buckingham
• Mixed Snipe – 1^st, Schiffman/Rodriguez
• Open Kite – 1^st, Cyr
• Mixed Lightning – 2^nd, Starck/Dieball/Jones
• Women’s 49erFX – 2^nd, Roble/Shea
• Men’s RS:X – 2^nd, Pascual
• Mixed Nacra 17 – 3^rd, Gibbs/Weiss
• Men’s 49er – 4^th, Mollerus/MacDiarmid
• Open Sunfish – 6^th, Blouin
• Women’s RS:X – 6^th, Hall
• Women’s Laser Radial – 8^th, Rose

Among the sailors leading their fleets is Team USA Formula Kite athlete, Will Cyr (Grosse Pointe, Mich.). Cyr is the first athlete to officially represent Team USA in the Formula Kite class. “I’d like to say that it’s a lot of pressure,” he noted, “but honestly, the practice over the last six months has been so exhausting, that sailing four races each day almost feels like a break.” Cyr trained intensively for his first Games experience. After logging at least 100 miles on the water each week in the period leading up to the Games, it’s safe to say he is prepared. “I flew to San Francisco multiple times to train with one of our top USA riders,” said Cyr.

The Formula Kite class is slated to be included in the Olympics Games Paris 2024, for the first time. While the 2024 Games are on Cyr’s radar, his focus is certainly still on Lima 2019, “Without a doubt, this is the first step on a very tall ladder. For now, I’m looking forward to the rest of racing. I realize that I’m not going to win this event on the first day, so I’m just trying to stay calm and conservative.”

The Formula Kite is among three classes that Team USA is currently leading. Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) is leading the Men’s Laser class and Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) have established a commanding lead over the Mixed Snipe fleet. Rodriguez and Schiffman are currently six points ahead of their next closest competitors. Schiffman attributed their success today to great speed and positioning on the course.

Both she and her skipper, Rodriguez, have had considerable success in single-handed boats. Schiffman primarily sails the Women’s Laser Radial at Olympic class regattas. She mentioned that though the switch to sailing with a teammate is unnatural at first, she’s grateful to have the experience. “It’s difficult, but I’m really happy with how it’s going,” said Schiffman. “Something different with Ernesto is that he’s always on, all the time. The intensity never stops. That’s something that I can’t wait to bring back into my own Radial sailing.”

U.S. Nacra sailors Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weiss (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) also had an admirable day after scoring two first-place finishes. Their results pushed them into a podium position, heading into day four. Other highlights for Team USA include second place ranked boats Steph Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) in the Women’s 49erFX class, Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.) in the Men’s RS:X class, and Jody Starck (Buffalo, N.Y.), Skip Dieball (Grosse Ile, Mich.), and Ian Jones (Buffalo, N.Y.) in the Mixed Lightning class.

Team USA is looking forward to more racing tomorrow. Racing is scheduled to resume again at 1100 local time.

Updated 8/5/2019

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Day Two – Team USA Athletes Start Strong

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Preview

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARACAS, PERU (August 2, 2019) – On Saturday, August 3, 2019, 168 sailors representing 26 countries will begin racing at the Pan American Games Lima 2019 (Pan Am Games). The Pan Am Games occur every four years in the year preceding the Summer Olympic Games. The 2019 edition of the event will feature 11 sailing medal events. Athletes will have the opportunity to win the title of Pan American Games Medalist in the Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Men’s Laser, Women’s Laser Radial, Men’s 49er, Women’s 49erFX, Mixed Nacra 17, Open Sunfish, Open Formula Kite, Mixed Lightning, and Mixed Snipe classes. A total of 17 athletes will be representing Team USA across all 11 classes.

2019 U.S. Pan American Games Sailing Team Roster:

• Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.) – Men’s RS:X
• Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) – Women’s RS:X
• Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) – Men’s Laser Standard
• Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) – Women’s Laser Radial
• Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) & Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.) – Men’s 49er
• Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) & Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) – Women’s 49erFX
• Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) & Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – Mixed Nacra 17
• Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.) – Open Sunfish
• Will Cyr (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) – Open Formula Kites
• Jody Starck (Buffalo, N.Y.), Ian Jones (Buffalo, N.Y.), & Skip Dieball (Grosse Ile, Mich.) – Mixed Lightning
• Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) & Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) – Mixed Snipe

Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Conner Blouin (Tampa, Fla.) both represented Team USA at the most recent Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games in the Men’s Laser and Open Sunfish classes, respectively. Lightning sailor and Pan Am Games veteran, Jody Starck (Buffalo, N.Y.), competed in the Mar de Plata 1995 Games in the Women’s 470 and the Rio de Janeiro 2007 Games in the Mixed Lightning. Snipe athlete, Ernesto Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) also competed in Mar de Plata. In 1995, he sailed under the Cuban flag in the Men’s Laser fleet.

While a few of the athletes have competed at the event before, this will be the first Pan Am Games for several U.S. sailors. Nacra 17 skipper, Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) is looking forward to representing Team USA for the first time. “Competing at the Pan Am Games will be pretty special,” said Gibbs. “Representing your country on this world stage is nothing shy of spectacular, so putting on the Team USA uniform, you definitely get a different feeling than putting on your everyday clothing.”

In addition to fighting for a Medal, Gibbs and his crew Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) are among several athletes that will be competing to qualify the country for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Before earning selection to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team, U.S. athletes must first qualify the country for representation. 49erFX athletes, Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisc.) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.), and 49er athletes, Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) and Ian Mac Diarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.), will also be competing for country qualification this week. The top North American country in each class will earn a berth to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

For some sailors in the non-Olympic classes, the stakes at the Pan Am Games are even higher. “For Olympic Class boats, the Olympics are the pinnacle. Everything you do is for that goal. For the non-Olympic Classes, participation in the Pan Am Games holds the same importance,” said Team USA Lightning crew, Skip Dieball (Grosse Ile, Mich.). “Representing your country in such an event is an honor and privilege.  My teammates and I have traveled all over the world. To sail with the support of an entire community, both within and outside our class and sport, is very special.”

Racing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, August 8 for the Open Sunfish, Mixed Snipe, Mixed Lightning, and Formula Kite classes and on Saturday, August 9 for the Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Men’s 49er, Women’s 49erFX, and Mixed Nacra 17 classes. Upon the conclusion of racing, the 2019 Pan American Games Medalists will be decided.

Event coverage:

Schedule

August 3-8 – Opening Series

August 9 – Medal Races for RS:X (M), RS:X (F), 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17, Laser Standard and Laser Radial

August 9 – Reserve day for opening series races for Sunfish, Snipe, Lightning and Formula Kite

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Results

Results will be available on the event website.

US Sailing Press Contact

Brittney Manning – US Sailing Team Press Officer, brittneymanning@ussailing.org, +1 (401) 487-4787

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