SAILING: Yngling Sailors Barkow, Howe and Capozzi Qualify for U.S. Olympic Team
February 15, 2008
Yngling Sailors Barkow, Howe and Capozzi Qualify for U.S. Olympic Team Portsmouth, R.I. (February 15, 2008) - For Yngling sailors Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) it is official: after years of hard work, the team is bound for China this summer to represent the USA at the 2008 Olympic Games. "We're very excited to be on the Olympic Team," said Team 7's skipper Sally Barkow moments after getting off the water. "We have a long road ahead of us to get ready for the tough competition in China, but we're looking forward to it." After earning a fourth overall finish at the Yngling Women's World Championship earlier today in Miami, Fla., the trio - also referred to as Team 7 - successfully completed qualification for the U.S. Olympic Team for Sailing. US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee will now officially nominate the Team to the U.S. Olympic Committee. "We're excited to have Sally, Carrie and Debbie on the 2008 Olympic Team," said Dean Brenner, Chair of US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee. "Their record over the last four years speaks for itself, and they have earned the right to represent the United States." The competition at the Yngling Women's World Championship was fierce, with several countries still hoping to qualify for a berth at the Games. Team 7 earned the Yngling berth for the USA last August after winning a silver medal at the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, which was also the first event of two that would determine the USA representatives to the Games. "We had to fight hard to come back from behind," said Barkow, the 2007 US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, about the team's fourth place finish at the Worlds. "It wasn't easy but we did a pretty good job." The 2008 Olympic Games will take place August 8-24. The Olympic regatta will be held in Qingdao, China, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing. The USA has qualified for a berth in all 11 Olympic and 3 Paralympic classes. Athletes for the other Olympic and Paralympic sailing events were named after the U.S. Olympic , Paralympic Team Trials - Sailing were held last fall. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams - Sailing are managed by US SAILING, national governing body for the sport. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. 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 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org. (End)
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