Australian sailor Tom Slingsby’s desire to achieve at the highest level grew as a teenager when he watched the boats compete on Sydney Harbour during the 2000 Olympic Games.
“When I decided I wanted to be a professional sailor, there was not really a career path,” Slingsby said. “Only the top 1 per cent of sailors were able to make a career, so I knew then I had to be one of the very best in the world. Every single day, whether it was pouring rain, or freezing cold, I would say to myself ‘no one else is training today but I will because this is the dedication (奉献) and passion it takes to reach the top’.”
That attitude had won Slingsby two world laser (激光级) titles before the 2008 Olympics. He headed into the Games as gold-medal favourite but finished in 22nd place. “I was young, confident, arrogant (自大的) and with a sense that nothing could stop me,” Slingsby said. “The way I look at it, I stopped myself.”
The 2020 Olympic sailing venue in Japan was held in very light winds, so Slingsby knew he had to lose weight. His weight dropped from 87kg to 73kg. “At 78kg, the team doctor had told me not to lose more,” Slingsby said. “I ignored that advice and had a serious viral illness just a week before the Games.” But more than the physical, it was the mental side that affected Slingsby. “I was unable to solve problems, to figure boat-speed issues. I learnt the hard way.”
It was years before Slingsby fully understood the lessons of Beijing but he now understands how it motivated him to his 2012 Olympic win in London and drove him to become one of the best athletes in the sport’s history.
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