Pictured: Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2016
Portsmouth, R.I. – The US Sailing Team Sperry’s Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) has won a silver medal at the 2016 Laser Radial World Championship, held on Banderas Bay at Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. This is Railey’s fifth career Worlds podium finish, having won Gold in 2005, and bronze in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Railey has earned the distinction of earning more medals at the Women’s Laser Radial Worlds than any athlete in history.
“I’m very proud of my results,” said Railey, a Rolex World Sailor of the Year and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “I showed consistency, and didn’t do anything drastic. This was a huge step in my career. I am looking forward to the [Olympic] Games.”
Railey sailed a steady series, and none of her races were worse than 9th place. “Paige sailed a very consistent and top-quality regatta, and competed hard throughout,” said Mark Littlejohn (Auckland, New Zealand), Railey’s coach. “She fought for gold right until the last leg of the last race. She just missed out.”
Having guaranteed at least a silver medal heading into the final race, Railey battled with Great Britain’s Alison Young for the top of the podium. Young’s first place finish in the deciding race, combined with Railey’s 6th, clinched gold for the British sailor by a single point. Nevertheless, Railey looks to be at close to her best heading into the summer, and as August’s Olympic regatta draws closer. “Paige is in a great place to win a medal in Rio,” said Littlejohn, who has guided athletes to multiple medals in his career.
Railey qualified for her second U.S. Olympic Sailing Team in March, and will represent Team USA at Rio 2016. A training accident nearly derailed her career in the summer of 2014, but she quickly bounced back with a string of top finishes. Railey finished 4th at the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event, and won her second career gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
The 2016 Radial Worlds was also a strong event for the national team as a whole, as Railey’s teammate and training partner Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) enjoyed a career-best finish of 6th overall. It is Reineke’s third top-10 Worlds result since 2012. Reineke finished 2nd in the Rio 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Selection Series.
Final Results: Laser Radial World Championship 2016
- 1st overall, Alison Young, Great Britain
- 2nd overall, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), USA, US Sailing Team Sperry
- 3rd overall, Anne-Marie Random, Denmark,
- 4th overall, Marit Bouwmeester, The Netherlands
- 5th overall, Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, Lithuania
- 6th overall, Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), USA, US Sailing Team Sperry
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About the US Sailing Team Sperry
The US Sailing Team Sperry is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team Sperry. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. The title sponsor of the team is Sperry; other sponsors include Gold-Level partner Sunbrella and Silver-Level partners Harken, Team McLube and Groupe Beneteau. Yale Cordage is a team supplier. The US Sailing Center Miami is an Olympic training site. Oakcliff Sailing and Clearwater Community Sailing Center are US Sailing Team Sperry Training Centers. Chubb Personal Insurance and the Gowrie Group sponsors US Sailing’s National Team Tour, a nationwide presentation program for US Sailing Team Sperry athletes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
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Press Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 (978) 697-2384.
