Tom Slingsby: There’s Nothing Like The Olympics

Australian Tom Slingsby, Olympic gold medallist at the London Games, is sitting out this quadrennial due to his commitments with America’s Cup defender Oracle Team USA, but says the Olympic flame still burns bright for him.

“I’ve probably got two more Olympics after this one if I want to keep going,” he said. “I see myself doing another Olympic campaign. This one just didn’t work out quite right … but 2020, why not?

The 30-year-old Slingsby, who joined the successful Oracle Team USA straight after the London Olympics, admits that after competing in two Olympics himself, he’s finding it a little difficult not being a part of it this time.

“If you asked me a year ago how much I miss it I probably would have said I’m on a new chapter and I’m enjoying this,” he said. “But all the hype for the Olympics, there’s nothing like it. I definitely miss all the adrenaline of knowing you’re going to an Olympics.

“In the America’s Cup, we’ve got the same thing – an event every four years – but it was just a bit different when I was competing by myself. I dedicated 12 years to the Olympics and when I stuffed up in China in 2008 I had to wait four years for another chance.”

Slingsby went to Beijing as the world No.1 in the men’s Laser class but buckled on his Olympic debut to finish 22nd overall in a devastating blow that nearly prompted the Central Coast native to give up the sport, before he finally found redemption in London.

Source: ninemsn