Setting foundation for Olympic Program

The Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center (CSOPTC) is a world-class training venue open to all Team USA athletes, focusing on the full athlete experience with lodging, a dining hall, sports medicine clinic, science lab, and state of the art fitness facilities. The US Sailing Team, ODP athletes, and staff gathered at the facility on February 7-9 for fitness testing, meetings, and team building exercises. Here is their report:

“Bringing the US Sailing Team and US Sailing Olympic Development Athletes to the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center at this stage in the LA28 quad was a valuable opportunity to step away from the water and our familiar training environment, immersing ourselves in an inspirational Olympic spirit that transcends our sport,” said High Performance Director, Marcus Lynch.

“As a team, we set the foundation for the culture we aim to build, not just for LA28, but for Brisbane 2032 and beyond. Together, we identified the core values that resonate most with us which we will continue to reinforce through open and collaborative discussions throughout our Olympic journey.

“Everyone actively engaged in thought provoking, educational, and interactive sessions designed to enhance each individual athlete’s journey to the podium.”

The schedule included time for team discussions, campaign planning support, nutrition coaching, Team operations review, a women’s health discussion for female athletes and staff (led by ODP Director Rosie Chapman, USST Head of Operations Sally Barkow, and USST Nutritionist Shelly Guzman Johnson), and in-depth fitness testing with USST Physiotherapists and USOPC Sports Science & Medicine.

The fitness testing was conducted both at the natural approximate 6,000 ft Colorado Springs altitude and within a simulation chamber set to sea level conditions so further testing can be run in coming years at other training sites closer to regular team operations.

“It was incredibly special to be provided with the tools and resources at the Sports Science department for our testing,” said Tokyo and Paris Olympian Lara Dallman-Weiss. “The professionals there, along with the US Sailing Team Physiotherapists from Force Physical Therapy, reminded us that the point was to set our baseline for this quad and focus on our individual numbers.

“Along with the endurance and strength and conditioning testing, we also had access to unlimited recovery tools. I love using data to learn how to optimize performance and it was inspiring to tap into everything our national training center has to offer.”

The conversations sparked in Colorado are just the beginning, and they’re set to continue with even greater momentum back at sea level. One key takeaway was the commitment to launching women’s health workshops that will extend beyond the US Sailing Team, reaching coaches, athletes, and sailing programs at all levels.

Historically, women’s health in sports has been a top-down conversation, but the discussions in Colorado pushed to bring this vital topic on the unique challenges facing female athletes down to youth levels. Attendees noted how important it is to extend the support and create the space for open conversations for girls just starting their sailing experience.

At the end of the camp, athletes in attendance and those who couldn’t make it were sent Athlete Agreement documents to join the USST and ODP rosters. Those who sign will be joined by any who unlock qualification with a high enough finish at the upcoming Princesa Sofía regatta on March 28-April 5 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, or at their respective class World Championship in 2025.

For more information on team selection: https://www.ussailing.org/olympics/selection/

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Long Beach, CA
Dates: July 21-August 6

* World Sailing voted to keep the Paris 2024 Sailing Program for Los Angeles 2028, but the program is not final until the IOC approves all events, which usually occurs between December 2024 and January 2025. At that time, the IOC will also confirm the quota for sailing and how many medals.