Turning the page
Brothers Will and Sam Phillips will make their Olympic debuts in the same boat next year, but that hasn't stopped them looking outside the family for a Games edge.
09 May 2020
Advertisement
The 49er pair of Will and Sam Phillips believe the 12-month postponement could play into their hands as they absorb the lessons dual gold medallist Malcolm Page has instilled since returning to Australia’s coaching ranks last year.
The first Australian to defend an Olympic sailing gold medal when he won the 470 class in London eight years ago, Page had been tasked with reinvigorating the United States’ program as chief of Olympic sailing. He is now back in Australia as Victorian Institute of Sport head coach.
Will Phillips said Page was like a third teammate to him and his younger sibling during the late stage of their Olympic qualification.
“His experience in dinghy sailing is just amazing; I’m not sure there is any better,” he told AAP. “And his record of success, he’s been in high-pressure situations before and is able to share a few strategies for dealing with things like that.
Advertisement
“There were some small things we could apply to our own sailing that really made a difference.”
The Phillips brothers, who live a stone’s throw from the water on the Mornington Peninsula, are ranked just outside the world’s top 10 but were fifth in February’s world championships.
Will Phillips expects the lead-in to next year’s delayed Games to revolve around domestic racing given the likely travel restrictions.
But with quality sailors across the Tasman and within Australia, he’s confident they will arrive in Tokyo well prepared.
“We won’t have the benefit of getting that benchmark (if no European sailing is possible),” he said.
We know we’ve got a little bit of work to do and one of the key ingredients is time. Now we’ve got more of that, so that’s really cool.
Phillips has been helping his cousin build a boat to keep busy as Australia’s sailors edge closer to a return to the water when restrictions on recreational sailing are eased.
“We have the home gym and are still able to paddleboard and surf as well,” he said. “Without that routine, I’d be going completely insane; everyone needs something to focus on.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
