It was always the plan to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Regatta at the first attempt but in the absence of any such result last year at the World Sailing Championships in Aarhus, Irish Olympic Laser campaigners face their penultimate opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next week.
After an extremely promising start to 2019 with some fine top ten results at World Cup level, Rio Olympian Finn Lynch remains Ireland’s top hope for qualification success in the men's Laser class.
The National Yacht Club sailor will be competing at the World Championships and Olympic qualifying event in Sakaiminato, Japan and is joined by rivals for the single Irish Tokyo berth, Liam Glynn of Bangor in County Down and Ewan McMahon of Howth Yacht Club, in what is McMahon's first season as a senior.
There are only five Olympic qualifying places available at the competition, which sees 159 competitors from 58 countries.
The men’s competition in Japan will be followed by the Laser Radial Women’s World Championships on 19 July, when Ireland’s Aoife Hopkins and Aisling Keller compete for their qualifying places.
