LEIGH CARRIES IW FLAG AT BEIJING OLYMPICS

Friday, April 18, 2008
ISLAND sailor Leigh McMillan is celebrating after being officially selected by the British Olympic Association to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
McMillan, 27, will be on the plane to China for the Olympic Regatta in Qingdao this summer after the BOA officially ratified his nomination for the Tornado class put forward by Royal Yachting Association selectors.
McMillan, of Newport, and crew, Southampton-based Will Howden enjoyed a fruitful start to 2008 posting two major regatta wins in Australia and New Zealand before enduring a tricky World Champion-ships in Auckland.
Speaking from Southern France, ahead of a regatta next week, McMillan said he was looking forward to the challenge.
“We’ve been to Qingdao a few times so we know the local area and the conditions, so it won’t be a shock,” he said.
“But we are expecting the conditions to be quite tricky, with light winds, so it will certainly be a test.
“We pretty much knew we were going to be selected last Septem-ber, so we’ve been training for the Olympics since then.”
McMillan said he was not going to let the current protests surrounding China’s rule in Tibet, affect him.
He said: “We are sportspeople, sport is what we care about. We are going to enjoy the event and what it represents, and do everything we can to win a medal.
“This is my second games and it is a chance to do what didn’t happen last time.”
• More sailing news at http://www.iwcp.co.uk/Sport/Sailing/Sailing.aspx

LEIGH CARRIES IW FLAG AT BEIJING OLYMPICS

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