The Asian Games is a massive event in the region, second only to the Olympic Games, and the 19th edition, held in Hangzhou, China, has been a huge success.
The sailing event had added importance as six qualifying spots were available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In the Men’s ILCA 7 dinghy Singapore’s Ryan Lo has qualified the nation for the Olympics by winning the class. After no racing was possible on the final day he said, “It feels really great, I’m really happy right now and it’s a big relief for me to get a spot for the country for the Olympics. For now, my goal is just to try to do what I can over the next year to see what I can do to improve. I didn’t have a very good first day – I was fourth after the first day – so I just had to dig deep and try to be consistent, just try take it one race at a time.”
In the Women’s ILCA 6 a recent graduate of World Sailing’s Emerging Nations Program (ENP), Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif won gold and qualified Malaysia for Paris 2024 in the process. She was understandably thrilled with the result: “I’m so happy and my mum will be very proud! “Every day she’s kept calling me and just telling me to keep calm and stay focussed and no pressure! I didn’t target gold at first because I had just come back from injury, and I just said let’s focus on the boat speed and the results will come.”
In the Men’s iQFoil Windsurfing China earned a berth through Bi Kun’s gold, and Hong Kong took up a Women’s iQFoil Windsurfing place through Ma Kwan Ching silver medal at the Asian Games, as the gold medalist Huang Xianting was from China, who had already qualified for Paris 2024 at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships at The Hague.
Thailand secured entry to the Men’s and Women’s Kite events. All places are subject to official confirmation by World Sailing.