DAY five of the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition on Thursday, August 1, proved to be another testing day on the water.

Men’s windsurfer Sam Sills, from Launceston, finished eighth after the qualifying rounds to earn his place in the iQFOiL Medal Series for the top ten athletes, starting from 1.20pm (UK time) today (Friday). 

He will have to race his way through the quarter-final and semi-final to claim a spot on the podium.

Reflecting on yesterday’s performance, Sills told the British Sailing Team: “I'm so happy. It was a real fight. I started the event in almost last, and I just had to fight my way all the way back to the top ten, and now it's all on because basically anyone can win in this top ten. The plan is just get as recovered as possible and try and smash it tomorrow for Great Britain.”

Today’s final means Sills is in touching distance of a medal, and is confident in his capabilities. He said: “I believe in my prep. I've been here over 100 days. And I'm just super excited to go for it. I love these moments. The hard bit is navigating the series. Now this is the cherry on top. You’ve just got to absolutely believe in yourself, send it as hard as you can and see what happens. And most of all, enjoy it. It's very special. I'll remember this moment for the rest of my life. Olympic finals. It’s quite emotional, actually.”