US Olympic Trials in Miami

It is the role of US Sailing to select its Olympic Sailing Team, and this had once been done with a winner-take-all regatta. But as participation decreased, the last domestic Olympic Trials was held in 2008. Other countries use the results from international events for their selection, and the USA followed though this also helped to decrease interest in Olympic sailing.

It was an initiative for the Paris 2024 Olympic to bring back domestic trials, and the US Olympic Program determined there was sufficient depth in seven of the ten Olympic events to select the representative in a single regatta to be held in Miami, FL.

Racing for the Men’s Kiteboard, Men’s Skiff, Mixed Two Person Dinghy, Men’s Windsurfing, and Women’s Windsurfing is January 6-13 while Men’s and Women’s One Person Dinghy is on February 17-24.

However, representing Team USA in Sailing at an Olympic Games consists of two parts: a “country qualification” in each of the 10 events and “athlete selection” to decide who fills the earned spot in each class.

To qualify the country in each class, any American athlete must place high enough at qualifying regattas in the year leading up to the Olympic Games to “qualify their country” for a spot in their class at the Games.

As of December 31, 2023, the USA qualified in 6 of the 10 classes: 49erFX, 49er, ILCA 6, Women’s iQFOiL, Nacra 17, and Women’s Formula Kite. To earn the final four qualifications, the final opportunity comes in early 2024 for the Mixed 470, Men’s Formula Kite, Men’s iQFOiL, and ILCA 7 classes.

The only American to have already fulfilled both country and athlete selection is Daniela Moroz in the Women’s Kiteboard event. The Nacra 17 and 49erFX will advance their representative based on the results of upcoming regattas.

For more information regarding the country qualification system, click here.

The Trials events happening in January and February in Miami serve as the “athlete selection” for those classes. The athletes that win these regattas in the classes that have already earned country qualification will immediately earn their ticket to represent Team USA in Marseille this summer.

Athletes in classes that do not yet have country qualification will reserve their selection but will still need to work together to qualify the country to complete the second of their two-part process.

Which classes fall into which category at the Trials?

• Winners of these classes will earn their spot at Paris 2024: 49er, Women’s iQFOiL, ILCA 6
• Winners of these classes still require a USA country qualification to confirm participation at the Paris Games: Mixed 470, Men’s Formula Kite, Men’s iQFOiL, ILCA 7

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* Quota per event in parenthesis but does not include Universality Places (2 men, 2 women)

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/